Obscurust : Beyond The Moonlit Gates
by Thalchanka
Summary: Some things were never meant to be known of. Twenty years after the Dark Master's defeat, Avalar is at peace. But as a strange series of artifacts, kidnappings and altars appear in and around Warfang, dark secrets and cosmic truths are revealed. Descend with Jericho into the heart of madness, lest be lost in the dying light.
1. Interval 01 - Overture

"Oh, come on!" Jericho groaned as the small structure collapsed. He clawed the ground in anger, grazing the rock under him._ I almost reached the top!_

Indeed, Jericho was attempting to build a small tower with wooden cubes. As a young dragon of seven years, he was still trying to succeed in his quest to stack the very tiny 150 cubes in his playset. It was a gift from Odyss, for his exceptional learning ability during his teachings, and it entertained him to no end.

Unless he was failing. He was that close to putting the final cubes together, but then it all crumbled, like his hopes and dreams of impressing Odyss.  
_Well… That's 30 minutes I'll never get back! Great Malefor!_ Jericho then kicked one of the cubes back into the collapsed pile. _I'll try again… Until I get it!_

He sat on his haunches, picking the cubes back up. His dark blue scales shone like metal in the artificial light provided by a lantern next to him. Curved blue horns gently refracted the light back onto his bent backwards spikes, which were linked with soft dull grey membrane. The same grey membrane dressed his wings, which were still developing at his age. It wasn't long however until he got lost in the stacking of his little cubes. Yet, it felt a bit lonesome. _If only Hallimede were here to play…_

"Boo!"

Jericho screamed, kicking his tower down once again. As soon as he thought of someone other than her, she appeared to burst his bubble. It was as if she knew. _Again?! Oh for-_

"Missed me?" the dragoness grinned triumphantly at Jericho's surprise.

"Elara! You're a real hatchling, you know that?!" exclaimed a startled Jericho. His mouth hung open in dismay.

"Says the one with playing blocks. Were you expecting someone else?" The Earth dragoness chuckled. "Let's see... light green scales, ram horns and brown membrane? No, that's you, alright! The dragoness of my nightmares!" Jericho sighed.

"Ever since you got that crescent on your muzzle, you've been scared of me," she teased.  
Jericho balled up his fists, growling at the dragoness. "Don't talk about it! You also have one!" he shot back.

"At least it looks good on me." She smirked, gently touching the downwards pointing crescent scar linking both nostrils. "Nothing beats it."

"You deserve to be beat instead! Anyways…" Jericho took a deep breath. She loved to get on his nerves. "What terrible news do you bring?"

"Oh, indeed, terrible news," she said in a dramatic voice. "The Great Follower needs you. The clock strikes fifteen, and you have ten minutes to go. Meet him in the Warren's Hall."

All of Jericho's anger melted down to his stomach before turning into fear. _The Great Follower? What did he do wrong? Did he forget his duties? Did he-_  
"Relax," said the dragoness, interrupting his thoughts. "He said it's important, and that it's no punishment. You'll have to get the details from him." Jericho was still shaking, and that amused the young dragoness.

"F-fine… Just help me clean up the cubes! It's your fault this time!" He grumbled.

"Aw, you need my help? Who's the hatchling now?"

"Forget it!" Jericho growled, before scrambling to push all the small wooden objects to a corner of the room, almost slipping on one. The only regret he had at that moment was that he couldn't punch the laughter out of Elara's face. Nonetheless, after his poor attempt at a clean-up, he rushed outside to join another cave, sprinting as fast as he could. The Warrens were not far, but he had to be quick. Being late was disrespectful to the Great Follower.

He quickly reached the Warren's Hall, where a certain figure was standing. "Great Follower! Jericho, reporting to your call!" He declared. The Great Follower nodded wordlessly in acknowledgement, before gesturing ahead.  
"Come." They rasped.

* * *

Putrid smell. That was the first thing that reached Jericho's senses. It was too dark to see ahead of him. Whatever lay forwards had to be a trial, a lesson, a challenge. Something important. But he couldn't help but worry. What would happen to him?

He walked in darkness, guided by The Great Follower. He felt both honored and scared. The further he went, the louder the noises were.

Soon enough, he reached the place. Within a dimly lit room, the young dragon was met with another dragon, his age, tied down to an altar of stone and concrete. It kept bleeding from its mouth, as it made horrible noises while trying to scream and thrash. The smell was overbearing, the smell of rotting meat and copper.

"W-what… Is…" Jericho recoiled unwittingly, the sight burning a hole into his mind. He bumped into The Great Follower, as they gently laughed.

They didn't wait for Jericho do anything more before they presented the young dragon with a dagger, putting it on the altar. Its blade was straight, the metallic handle decorated with unknown sigils. "Go on, Jericho… Take it. Feel its power. It is time for you to do what matters."

The dark blue dragon put his paws upon the dagger's handle, squeezing it hard, scared.  
"Put it to that weakling's chest. Pierce its heart. Release his soul in the name of Malefor."

"I…" He closed his eyes for a moment. It took what seemed hours for the young dragon to put the dagger onto the dragon's chest, where the heart should be. "Like this…?"

"Push it in. Enjoy every moment." They commanded. _N-no! I…_ His mind went blank for a moment, as if everything had turned inwards. The sinking feeling in his stomach overtook him. He had to. Or else, he too, would not get out alive. His thoughts crashed against each other, offering nothing but static. At least a little bit. Jericho started putting his weight on the blade, it slowly going inside the body of the sacrifice. The scales provided resistance, but the dagger was sharper. The… Victim tried to scream even harder, trying to shake free. It was also crying. Jericho averted his gaze from the victim's eyes, for fear of also tearing up himself.

"Keep going, Jericho. You're doing the right thing."

"B-but… I…" Jericho froze up. He couldn't. He can't take a life. He can't be a murderer. _I can't…_

"Jericho. Do you remember your oath?" said The Great Follower in a raspy tongue.

"Yes… A-ashes to Ashes… Dusk to D-dusk… O-o-o-ode to Malefor…" the hatchling stuttered, as the gagging sounds drowned out any thought. This… Thing… needed to die. It was now a merciful act, no more, no less.

"I took his tongue. Now. Take his life. For the Dark Master." The thought of having his own tongue cut off turned his blood to ice. He needed to get this done.

He had to do it. For the Great Follower. For Malefor. For himself. Ode to…

Jericho pressed the dagger deeper into the dragon's chest. Slowly, until the blade went through the heart. The scream he heard was beyond explanation. And gradually, as blood poured out the wound, the gagging stopped, along with the attempts to break free. The dragon was finally dead, and The Great Follower grinned at Jericho.

"Good… You shall make a fine leader soon, Jericho. Remember… You're doing what is necessary. I'm proud of you," said the larger dragon, patting at Jericho's head.

"…Yes…" he simply replied, still shocked at his actions. Did he just kill…?

"Don't worry about the body, we'll take care of it. But keep in mind. Malefor's memory must be kept alive at all cost. Trust in your dagger… It'll serve you well." _… I… I killed…_

Putting his paws over Jericho's, he removed the dagger from the dead dragon's chest.

"That is all for today. Rest and ponder, as you are meant for great things... Ode to Malefor."

"…Ode to Malefor…"

* * *

Oh, how much he cried during that day. Thinking he was a monster. A murderer. Not worth anything. Even young, he understood the burden of his actions. But tears were pointless. He now understood the purpose of the lesson. No life is greater than Malefor's. Not even his own, or any of The Followers. Ten years later, he couldn't help but think of that moment in his life.

He sighed, sliding the same dagger he once used all the way back into its scabbard, which was hung around his neck. This memory will forever be burned into his mind. And it only made his mission even more important.

Jericho walked down a small path carved through the grass, heading back into the forest. His resolve was tested every single day, but he would not fail in his purpose. These short walks helped him to keep his calm.

_That's the second altar we found… More flesh. More flesh… Stop. Focus. Field report first. _He thought to himself.

After walking for a bit, he made it back to camp. The Moonlit Crescents were installed here temporarily, at the outskirts of Warfang. As the Followers' forward reconnaissance and scouting unit, their role was to find anything that may further their cause. This time, it was artifacts. Said remnants were supposed to be related to Malefor.

He sat by the fire. It was getting late, and the growing fear in his stomach wouldn't go away. What if it wasn't enough? What if The Great Follower wasn't satisfied?

He shook his head. The thoughts shouldn't be overwhelming, yet, he had to consider every single one of them. Maybe then he could earn his rightful place.

"Jericho?"

He turned back. There stood the light green dragoness.

"Oh, Elara…" he blurted out awkwardly. She replied with a small chuckle. "… R-right. Field report?"

"Right so, not many new things, Apart from that altar. We know it's for sacrificial purposes from the markings on it, but we don't have any flesh to give. Maybe you can let Tethys provide you with-"

"N-no… We're not sure what happens if we do, at least for now. You told me your translation book has missing characters. We warned The Followers back home of its existence, now we wait for a reply. Then we'll… You know," Jericho said meekly.

"Whatever you say, O dear Leader." Jericho couldn't help but chuckle at the dragoness' striking sarcasm. "Anyways, he'll be back soon with food. Oh! Before I forget... From the informants over at Warfang, the purple bastard and the traitor are on our case. Namely the sacrifices."

Jericho's eyes widened, before he balled up fists, rage welling up. _The bastards are now are after us… How dare they!_

Elara groaned, looking in Jericho's blue eyes. "Hey, calm down. No point in doing anything since they're passive. For now, that is."

"… Those bastards destroyed our chances at our Redemption." He snarled. Elara nodded, more in exasperation than agreement yet continued to listen. "And now, the life we live here is nothing more than suffering compared to what was to await us. That's why I'm angry. They keep pursuing a lie." Every time he thought of the purple dragon, he couldn't help but seethe. The Followers knew all too well what happened that day, which was meant to ascend them towards a higher existence. "Ever since this putrid world birthed me, I was meant to follow Malefor. We all did. And our efforts, all wasted because of those two bastards. And now…"

"And now we're stuck hunting for weird objects and strange tables. I get it, Jericho."

"Then you surely understand why I am mad at this. We don't need them bringing down what we strived to build for."

Elara shrugged her shoulders. "Well… Best we can do is keep going... Oh, here, sounds like you need one."

The green dragoness put down a small stone in front of Jericho. _Calming clay? I guess…_ The dragon grasped in his paws, weighting it. _Should be enough…_ He then cupped his paws before crushing the claystone in them, diving his snout in the stony powder before inhaling deeply, coughing as the dry powder hit his nose. He groaned, trying to blow out the leftover powder. The effects were instantaneous. Colors started to fade along with his vision, as calm overtook him. _Yessss…_ he moaned. All his worries seemingly vanished as his mind was put at ease. The green dragoness just gave him a short snicker before crushing herself a bit of the clay, inhaling it in a much slower way. "Feels good, doesn't it?" she smiled, while Jericho had his eyes closed, head slowly bobbing from side to side. The only thing he heard was Elara's constant laughter.

He was lost in his thoughts. Everything he felt seemed… Numb. And it was great. Like all the bad memories faded into a void. He knew the high only lasted for a few minutes, but it was a ritual at this point. That is how he managed his fears and rogue thoughts.

As the effects subsided for a bit, he smiled. He was calm and focused again. "Right… Right. L-let's move on. Bring me the map, I need to add a location to it."

"On it, Leader," Elara said, going into the tent they had set up.

… _I got to focus. Keep thinking of what really matters, nothing else. Oh, please leave my mind clear of any doubt, Great Malefor… Great Malefor. I made you a promise. I will bring you the bastard's head along with the Traitors. _Jericho thought silently.


	2. Interval 02 - Gifts

"_Will you do the right thing in time of need, Jericho?"_

Every single time, without fail, that thought came back as he laid his head onto a pillow and tried to rest. The way his name was pronounced. The intensity of the words. The importance his mission held. It all came back at dusk, where his thoughts were rummaging through his head. _I got to be doing the right thing… For a better world._ _It's important. The bastard and the traitor never understood that… All our sacrifices, it's for the greater good._

He wasn't born during that era, but he could understand how fundamentally the world was broken. From all his experiences, both in training and in missions, he saw what the world had to offer, both the best and worst of it. He saw the apes now being reduced to savage scattered tribes, them having lost sapience ever since Malefor fell. He saw towns where epidemics rummaged through its inhabitants. He saw bits of land ripped apart from where it belonged and anchored to the ground with cables. He's seen animals die from unknown reasons. He's seen all the suffering he had to.

He couldn't shake off the feeling of imperfection that everything had, even himself. He was born without anything but The Followers. If it had been Warfang instead, he knew he'd have died off in some way, may it be a freak accident or suicide. He couldn't imagine how people in Warfang recovered from the war. How they didn't understand what Malefor was doing and how they tried to stop it. Maybe the war destroyed part of this world, but it wouldn't had mattered. _What comes next will be better for all of us._ They were all promised a world shaped by their own will. As life forms greater than dragons, they would rebuild this world. One where there would be no inequality, no suffering, no sadness.

Therefore, he felt unhappy. Because what was promised by Malefor was so close. Thwarted by the ones called Spyro and Cynder. Their names ignited fiery rage within Jericho. He heard their stories through The Great Follower, and how they denied their chance at redemption.

"_**They chose to save this vile world instead of having their place. Thus, they made us persist in this flawed and scarred universe. They've decided to keep us dwellers in darkness, not realizing that what was to happen was greater than all of us could know. Their peace is an illusion. One that we shall shatter."**_ So were The Great Follower's words about the bastard and the traitor. Their actions condemned the rightful order of things. If nature was to balance itself, it had to make something against Spyro and Cynder.

_Is that our purpose as Moonlit Crescents? Greater opponents against the bastards? Maybe… Oh, Jericho, don't bother yourself with those questions. Go to sleep…_

He closed his eyes, trying to sleep. But his mind didn't want to stop thinking. He needed calm and guidance.

* * *

He carefully exited the tent without waking up Elara, for fear of repercussions, and sat down near the extinguished campfire. Jericho raised his head up, at the Celestial Moons. The smaller one was green, and the larger was cream colored. _Zella the Ghoulish, and Adrana the Brighter…_ He couldn't help but be fascinated with those ethereal bodies. They were always there, ready to greet him with their otherworldly light.

Jericho was aware that there was some sort of connection between him and the Moons. Not only the crescent on his muzzle but his strange fascination for them. _My guiding moonlight…_ he thought. They were as old as time itself, and they would persist to the new world, where their light would illuminate the new land, shining hope onto those that would rebuild it.

In the lack of family, those two moons were his parents, his guardians. Overlooking his existence and providing calm upon their sight. He could stare at them all night, count the craters, track their movement through the night, and wonder what they might look like in the new world. _I feel at my calmest during a Night of Eternal Darkness… I don't remember it, but I was born during one. At least that's what The Great Leader told me… _

He was also told of the Well of Souls, and how spirits awoke near it as the Night unfurled. Curiosity stung him, but it was considered a sacred place, one not to tread upon without insight. "_Insight? What insight?" _he asked. He was met without an answer.

Something cracked behind him. He spun around to find an angry dragoness. _Oh no, here we go again…_

"Could you sleep normally for one single night?" Elara groaned.

"O-oh, did I wake you up?" Jericho tensed, facing the Earth dragoness.

"You left the door opened," she sighed. She was clearly quivering. _It's cold…_

"S-s-s-sorry," he stuttered, all flustered as he tried to come up with an excuse for his lack of attention.

"If you're gonna stare at the moons, at least don't interrupt my rest. A princess needs her beauty sleep."

"Like Great Malefor you do. You're just another dragon."

"Is that why I have an element and you don't?" She smirked.

"Hey, don't make fun of that! That's why you don't have any friends," replied Jericho with hurtful intentions. That clearly hit the dragoness.

"… Yeah. I don't. Neither do you, 'Leader'. You're only there to rule us because you were chosen to do so. Believe me, I would have guided us to redemption by then, and why you pester us." Every hint of irony or sarcasm faded from the dragoness' voice. It chilled Jericho's blood, as her piercing look stared deep into his soul. He grimly nodded, agreeing with her.

"I'll just leave you to your constant moon staring contest. Good night," the dragoness sighed as she went back in the tent, closing it.

He didn't bother to look back. It stung far deeper than he thought possible. He was a bad leader to her, but something else hurt. He wanted to be better, but…

The ringing came back in his ears. Slowly, everything started to mute down as a constant pain in his ears rose up. _I… I…_ he struggled to think. A pit gaped open in his stomach as he ran the words back through his mind. As doubt rummaged through his body, his eyes teared up. He raked his teeth together, biting down in hope of calming himself. Elara knew how to hurt Jericho the most, and he wasn't sure what it was.

He, however, suppressed his desires to sob. _The pain will go away anyways…_ If only he had brought up more Calming Clay. He would abuse it further, but at least, the silent suffering would cease. _I got to look up… I got to keep going…_ he pleaded himself, but it was rendered moot. He would not get better until he did something productive. Something to take his mind off the angst.

"I'll… I'll hunt for crystals," he said to himself. He swore he heard Elara reply something.

* * *

The deeper he ventured into the forest, the deeper his doubt grew. Maybe this was a mistake. He could had simply just gone back to sleep and have peaceful thoughts the morning after. But it was too late to regret the decision. Crystals were always useful anyways.

The dense trees and foliage almost blocked all moonlight, but he could still see well in the dark, in fact, better than other dragons. In pitch black he could see and distinguish shapes, but everything was in greyscale. However, as he ventured deeper, his imagination began to fill in the blanks. Like unseen foes, it looked like the trees grew eyes and tendrils, wiggling as the cold wind blew over them. Shrubbery started to appear as if wild animals were hiding in it, ready to strike. Leaves and trunks imitated eyes.

He sucked in fresh air before exhaling deeply. His paranoia was slowly starting to raise, and his heart rate followed. Apart from the rustling of the wooden giants, he could only hear his own heart beat get louder and faster as he went. His limbs were lightly shaking as he started to respire strongly. _C-c-calm down! _He ordered himself, to no avail. He had to get somewhere where his imagination didn't warp his surroundings into twisted organic monsters.

He picked up the pace, not minding the sound his paws made in the dead leaves, to quickly find somewhere where the trees weren't visible. He quickly stumbled into a cave, and he didn't hesitate to get in. Once a quick look revealed it was secure, he fell on his back, his breathing staggered and quick. _Malefor be damned…! My body is weak!_ He reprimanded himself, as such weaknesses could get him, or the other Crescents killed. "ARGH!" he yelled, attempting to take back control of himself.

It took a while before his breathing returned to normal, his worries fading once again into a void. He raised himself up, taking a deeper look at the cave. It seemed like a tunnel kept it going downwards. Out of curiosity, he went through the tunnel, folding his wings and taking care not to graze himself.

It was only when striking pain shot through his left wing that he noticed he had torn the membrane apart between the fingers, the blood already trickling down his back. _Now I need those crystals!_ He tried to ignore the discomfort before he exited the small tunnel, leading into an even bigger room.

In the corner of his eyes shone green and red lights. _Finally!_ He said, as he turned to face the veins of healing and magic crystals burrowing out of the ground. He slowly marched towards them, until he faced a red quartz-like branch of the healing crystals. He jumped to get both of his paws to grasp it, before he pulled, using his own weight to crack it. "Come on…"

Without warning the crystal broke off, sending Jericho backwards, him falling onto his back. He yelped before he impacted the ground, the pain of his wing coming back, burning as ever. "Ow!"

He sighed, observing the crystal he broke off. He now had to focus. Jericho took the crystal with both his paws and emptied his mind, while closing his eyes. He let the tingling energy in his paws slowly course through him and to both his wing and his back, as a soothing rush of healing energy blurred the pain until it was no more. When he opened his eyes again, the crystal was smaller, enough to fit in the pouch resting on his left side. He opened it, sliding the small health crystal into it. He rose up to his feet once again, sighing as he faced the magic crystals. While he always tried to interact with them, they only made him feel disappointed. No spark of an element, or anything. _Won't stop me again…_

Jericho grabbed a small green crystal and broke it off, now trying to focus again. He felt the energy of the crystal tingle and throb as he closed his eyes, trying to guide its energy to his heart. It smoothly flowed from his paw to his core, yet, there was no sensation that came. No payoff, no climax, no satisfaction.

He opened his eyes again to notice the crystal didn't even get smaller and threw it to the ground in anger. It shattered into pieces. _… Why!_ He growled, being jealous of the other dragons' ability to use them. Especially Elara, which described the feeling as amazing.

The dark blue dragon crossed his arms and pouted, waiting for something to happen. But something caught his eye. A large piece of the green crystal flew off and illuminated some rocks. But, the shape of one of them was… Different. He decided to investigate.

The shape in question was like a small table, strange markings and runes engraved into it. It was made of what looked like obsidian, as it slowly distorted the air around it, making everything look wavy past it. Jericho's mood went up as soon as he recognized the object. _An altar!_ He screamed in his mind, glee overtaking him. While he couldn't do sacrifices, the sight of one of those otherworldly objects filled him with happiness. Maybe Elara would be impressed this time!

The altar was smaller than the usual ones they found, thus seemingly required less flesh to activate. It was rare to see one like this, and Jericho always tried to activate them, as they only required a few puddles of blood.

He took his dagger in his right paw before laying the left one on the altar, as he hovered the dagger over it. He briefly shook his head, trying to focus. _Do it for Malefor…_

He groaned as he sliced part of his palm with the dagger, blood soon following as it poured into the altar. Strangely, the blood started to evaporate on it, at it boiled and steamed, even though the altar was cold. He closed his eyes, focusing on reducing the pain coursing through his paw. "Great Malefor, I make this bloodletting in your name. May in your cursed downfall you wait dreaming of a better world."

After what felt a while, he opened his eyes. He withdrew his paw as soon as he saw what appeared on the altar. It was some strange sort of long cylindrical object engraved with runes, ending with a spike protruding through. _It looks like a syringe…_ While it was potentially tempting, he wouldn't stab himself with it. Not now, at least.

He took the syringe-like object in his paws, feeling the weight of it before putting it in his pouch. As soon as the object was taken, the altar seemed to stop distorting the air around it, as the runes glowed red, before it crumbled into rubble, the previous altar being reduced to a pile of rocks, a sign that his sacrifice was accepted. _Thank you, Great Malefor. _He turned back, but not before healing the gash on his paw with one of the crystals on the way, picking up a few more crystals for Elara.

He went through the tunnel again, being careful about his wings this time around. As he exited the tunnel and the cave, he looked up to see where the moons were. That's how he guided himself at night. _Alright… Over here, north. Therefore, I'll go West._

It didn't take long for him to find the camp back. He reached the tent and went inside, making sure to close it this time. Elara herself was back to sleep.

Jericho dropped his pouch as he curled up into a ball, resting his head on his tail. He closed his eyes, slowly drifting to the world of dreams. _May the moons guide me to starlight…_

* * *

"I really don't know, Spyro… That's the third one this month. It has to be related," Cynder said.

"I know, I know… We just have no leads. Nothing."

As Spyro looked over the profiles of the missing dragons, he couldn't help but feel like there was something bigger going on. "Right… Let's resume. All the dragons that disappeared are below the age of 30. They are all males of various elements and were last seen during the night. It just doesn't make sense. We never see any trace of fighting or blood. No strange behavior before disappearing. We never found any body or trace of them after… It can't just be them walking out of Warfang and getting lost… Are they?"

"Hmm. Maybe. We'll keep an eye out on a few. Maybe it's just strange behavior. Maybe they just go somewhere else, maybe travel, maybe… Ah, I really don't know, Spyro. It has to make some sense one day. It's strange we didn't find anything yet." The purple dragon nodded.

"I guess we'll see…"

Suddenly, Cynder turned her head. In the doorway a small light grey-reddish dragon stood. "Oh, Withe- I mean Ares! What are you doing up so late?"

"… There's something under my bed, mom." The slender dragoness stifled a small laugh.

"Oh, poor Ares. Let's take care of this monster, shall we?" she said with a smile. Ares got excited as they both left the room, leaving Spyro to focus again on the cases in front of him.

_Maybe we could send a decoy, albeit it would be dangerous. Maybe it has to do with that strange altar we found nearby Warfang. People maybe get curious or- Hold on…_

He reached into a drawer, searching for a folder containing anything related to what appeared to be occult, ancient or unusual. He put it on the desk, flipping through the loose pages to reach an article on the altar. There was a photograph of it. _Thank the moles for that invention… Makes clues easier to track down._

This altar was seemingly made of granite and imitated the shape of a chopped tree trunk, down to the bark-like exterior and roots. Any attempt to move it were inconclusive, as it weighted far more than expected. So, it was left in place, with moles guarding it. _Usually altars are made for the sacrifice of other beings… We're not savages, so there is no way we're trying that. Maybe something else?_

Then it hit him. The missing person cases started as soon as the altars showed up. _Oh no… What if…?_ The thought sent a chill through Spyro. _What if there were some others doing the sacrifices? Rogue dragons? Apes? _Spyro linked the photographs together, looking at them side to side.

Cynder came back into the room, looking over Spyro's shoulder. "You think they're related?"

"It would make sense. But who would do those things? What cruel beings would go to the point of kidnapping and murdering young dragons?"

"Oh, Spyro…" Cynder sighed. "Many, many beings. Remember the pirate ship, was it called Fellmuth Area? Where they almost made us fight to the death for entertainment?"

"I do… But still. Avalar has been at peace for twenty-four years. And out of a sudden, we get a spike in missing dragons. Ever since we got in the detective field of work, this case has been the one that we can't resolve…"

"Spyro, dear…" Cynder said, laying her head on Spyro's shoulder. "It's fine. We'll manage to close this one soon."

"We need to do it soon… If this story goes out to the public, it'll create another big scare, like the last Night of Eternal Darkness."

"And are you going to sleep anytime soon? Ares is scared without you."

"Uh… Give me a few, I'll be with you all soon," the purple dragon blurted. It may have been 25 years since Malefor's defeat, yet he still retained his awkwardness. Cynder sighed before heading upstairs.

_We tried putting offerings on it to see what would happen, but it didn't do anything… If we ever catch the person that does said sacrifices, we must see at what end…_

Spyro yawned, putting his head on the desk, overlooking the photograph, before his eyes slowly closed. He would of course never join Cynder and their son tonight.

* * *

"Mh…" Jericho groaned as he shook through sleep paralysis, almost biting his tongue. He slowly stirred back to the land of the living, colors fading back into view as he noticed he was in the tent. _Good… Tethys didn't drag me out this time,_ he thought with a small smile. In fact, the bulky dragon would be joining them any day now. _Well, no point in oversleeping… _He rolled on his stomach before raising up, standing on all fours. He slid on his pouch and knife scabbard.

He got out of the tent, noticing Elara was next to it, laying down into the grass. "Oh hey. Sweet dreams?" she asked. Her usual demeanor was back.

"I had one where I got eaten by a thousand sharks," Jericho joked.

"Sounds pleasant. Anyways… Saw you ventured out for crystals. Got some for me?"

"A few. And more," he said as he got out the few red and green crystals out of his pouch, pushing them to Elara. "Here you go. Should be enough for you."

"You make for a good delivery boy."

"Thanks. I also… Found an altar." Elara's interest rose up threefold, her now staring at Jericho. "Oh? You marked it?"

"Better yet, I activated it. It was so small that a few drops of blood did it. And it gave me some syringe-shaped artifact."

"Ooohhhh. Could be an injector! Show me."

He sat down on the ground, retrieving the strange syringe-like artifact, placing it in his paws. "Right, so, an injector?"

"I heard Odyss mention those. They apparently inject you with a magical stimulant that makes you, well, it depends on the type. You, uh, stick it into your shoulder or chest, pointy end first. And hope it doesn't kill you."

"Right… You'll be happy either way, so let's try it," Jericho gulped at the thought, as he flipped the syringe towards him, taking in a deep breath.

He jabbed the artifact into his left shoulder, the needle tearing through scale, skin and muscle before Jericho felt something more than pain.

The effects were near instantaneous. A surge of energy coursed through his body, his heart rate raised through the roof as light flashed through the corners of his vision. It looked like everything went faster. Jericho felt like he had to run instinctively to burn off the energy.

He withdrew the injector from his body, the effects dissipating as quickly as they appeared. He felt woozy, him almost dropping the artifact. "How'd it feels?" asked Elara with curiosity.

"Wooooow… F-f-felt like I was in a rush." He said, head swaying from side to side. "Uh… Wanted to run. Really fast," he said as spit drooled out from his mouth. The green dragoness just nodded, swiping the injector from Jericho's paws. She wanted to try it, but in another situation.

"Seems like you had some fun. I'll keep it thought. Remember, I'm the Scribe."

"Su-sure…" Jericho replied as he regained his whole head, shaking off the lightheadedness. "I don't mean to use it anyways… A bit too extreme," he explained. "What is even written on it?"

"Right, let me see… 'Stimulant Injector'. Didn't expect anything else," Elara said as she manipulated the artifact, before putting it in her own pouch. "Could definitely make things more interesting."

"If it's pranking Hallimede like you once did, I'm out," Jericho said as he put his paws up.

"Pffttt. It was great though. Never seen a dragon that red." Her smile was as wide as Jericho's tail crescent.

"And never have I seen one choke the lights out of you. Maybe swapping his crystals was a bad idea, wasn't it?" _I really had to put my negotiation skills to the test that day…_

"Aw, was fun. I'll do it again." Jericho just rolled his eyes after a long sigh. "I'm not going to cover for your murder, Elara, you got me?" He looked at her with laziness.

"Like it'll ever happen. You'll probably kill me before that." The only reply Jericho gave out was a groan.

"Anyways, Tethys will be here soon. You think he got us some flesh?"

"Would expect it…" His body cringed at the thought. _Come on, you should get used to it already!_

"… I have a question though. What scares you so much about seeing gore and guts?" She had to have noticed Jericho's reaction. He laid down next to her.

"I just… It's like, all of this belonged to someone that used to be alive, and maybe had thoughts like I do."

"They're inferior, you know that. Remember that they will be alive in the new world. We're just… Advancing the clock for them."

"I just dislike the thought of killing… I don't know why it's easy for you all." She sighed.

"This is why I doubt your leadership, Jericho. I fear that when the time comes, you won't do what's necessary. But… I understand. At least partially." Jericho's eyes lit up. It was the first time in a while where Elara gave him a small break. "I guess you're more sensitive than others. But unfortunately, as a Crescent, it's a bad trait to have. I hope you'll manage to… Become numb, if you know what I mean."

"I do…" Jericho said as he nodded with a bit of sorrow. She was right. He was oversensitive to every event, and it displeased him. If he tried to block his mind, his body would follow suit. It was unfair. He needed to, as Elara put it, shut off his feelings and become numb.

"Am I interrupting the two lovebirds?" A gruff voice said.

"Tethys!" Jericho and Elara exclaimed. They both got up to stare at the dragon.

His ruby-red scales shone in the light, as his pale red horns refracted the lights on his wings, where said pale red sew them together. However, the most striking feature were his bulging muscles, easily towering over both the dragons.

"No, we were just having a deep philosophical discussion about birds. Anyways, what's up?" Elara asked.

"Nothing much, Elara. I however brought up some plump mass for our needs. I'm only here for the sacrifice though, then I'll be going to Munitions Forge, to collect some weapons the Followers are taking an interest in." Indeed, he was carrying a large canvas bag. Fluids were dripping from the bloodened end of it. It almost made Jericho gag.

"Okay… G-g-good. Where from?" Jericho demanded, with a bit of shakiness in his voice.

"Met up with The Manipulator on the way. He had already bagged one and was waiting for us."

"So that means we'll be able to activate the greater one we found. We just need Jericho's authorization," Elara said.

"Well… Since it's already d-d-dead, yeah… We can."

"Gotcha, Sir Stutters." Jericho just growled under his breath. He couldn't control his stuttering. He got up, inspecting the bag. Something dead was inside it, obviously. And rotting. Jericho sighed, searching into his pouch for the map. He unfolded it in front of the dragons, pointing at a location.

"Here's a greater altar. Since we have nothing to do today, we can…"

"Alright, let's go," Tethys said. "Should be Southeast." Jericho and Elara replied with a short nod.

* * *

As they walked into the forest, Jericho realized that his imagination was too excited at night. What looked like eyes were just regular leaves, tendrils were branches, and… _Wow. I seriously need to calm down._

"So… What do you think we'll get out of it?" asked Tethys.

"I'll need to transcribe what's written on it first," replied Elara. The dragoness was practically jumping in her walking, happy to be so close to the forest. _No wonder she's an Earth dragon._ _And I'm nothing._ "Perhaps it'll be a sword."

"Or ice cream!" Tethys said.

"As long as you share," Jericho joked.

They kept walking until they reached the entrance of a cave. The tree next to it was marked with a circled cross. "Yep, altar ahead. I'll go first," Elara proposed. Both male dragons nodded. Elara quickened her pacing, going into the cavern first. Jericho soon followed suit, with Tethys at the back, dragging the bag. As they progressed deeper into the cave, Tethys breathed out a small fire wisp, the light following his head.

And soon enough, they reached the altar. This one was larger, almost Tethys' length and height. Made from a blue metallic material that resembled Jericho's scales. Red runes were inscribed into it, which Elara studied. "Right, let's read… So. It reads 'For the premise of a greater world, offer your flesh to a greater being'. Sounds creepy. Anyways, you know what to do, Jericho. Have at it." The dark blue dragon nodded. "First…" He reached for a Calming Clay stone, crushing it in his paw before inhaling the powder, so he would stay calm. Jericho observed the bag. "Give it to me," he ordered Tethys, which dropped the bag in front of Jericho. The dark blue dragon took a few deep breaths, before reaching into it. He felt cold squishy things inside. He pulled on what he could get a grip on and out came the carcass of a small dragon, its throat ripped out. _Is that…?_

Jericho ignored his thoughts to put the body upon the altar, before he sat before it. He got his dagger and turned his head to face the other dragons.

"Alright… Repeat after me. The Sepulture of Great Malefor."

"Whenever you're ready, we are," replied Tethys.

_Okay… Okay. Let's do this. _He took in a deep breath, before starting the sacrifice, his voice booming.

"**In the name of Great Malefor, we offer this flesh for your great return."**

Jeircho positioned the body on his back, before pointing the dagger at its chest.

"_In the name of Great Malefor, we offer this flesh for your great return," _repeated the two others.

"**For your downfall is not the end, for this world is unworthy."**

Jericho stabbed the body with the dagger, slicing down towards the belly.

"_For your downfall is not the end, for this world is unworthy."_

After he was done cutting open the carcass, he dove his paws into the wound.

"**As dusk overtakes this rotten world one last time, you shall emerge from your prison."**

Jericho grasped whatever he could find in the body, pulling it to gut the dragon.

"_As dusk overtakes this rotten world one last time, you shall emerge from your prison."_

He managed to get several parts, like the intestines, lungs and heart onto the altar itself. The flesh started to heat up, before the blood itself boiled, filling the cave with the smell of copper.

"**And as you destroy this current world, we shall usher in the new one."**

Slowly, it seemed like the flesh sunk into the altar, as if something was pulling it from below.

"_And as you destroy this current world, we shall usher in the new one."_

Steam and smoke came out of the body as it was consumed, the smell not too different from cooked meat.

"**Shaped by your will and command, you shall lead us to greater existence."**

The smoke burnt at Jericho's eyes, and he closed them.

"_Shaped by your will and command, you shall lead us to greater existence."_

He laid his paws on the body, following its consumption.

"**So, Great Malefor, take this mass as your fuel. Take our sacrifice in your name."**

As soon as his paws reached the stone, they started to heat up. He withdrew them quickly.

"_So, Great Malefor, take this mass as your fuel. Take our sacrifice in your name."_

The Leader opened his eyes once again. The body had completely disappeared.

"**Ode to Malefor."**

"_Ode to Malefor."_

"… We're done," said Jericho.

"Well that was… Something. What did it give us?" Elara asked with enthusiasm. Jericho moved to the side, looking at the object.

It was some sort of metal-like cylindrical handle, seemingly the one of a sword. Its cross guard had the shape of a crescent, not unlike Jericho's tail tip. "So… A sword without the whole sword part," Tethys sighed.

Jericho put his hands on the handle, withdrawing it from the altar, which started to crumble before fading into dust. The artifact was heavy and engraved with those strange runes only Elara knew how to read. It felt however nice to hold, for some reason. He however noticed there was a cut in the grip. _Hmm… Maybe it's where the blade is?_

Trusting his intuition, he swung the grip. The sword deployed from the cut, swinging into place as it locked forwards. "Hey, that almost got my head!" Elara growled.

Jericho inspected the blade. It was made of blue metal, which was very matching with his scales, strangely. It was straight, with a pointy tip, and sharp on both edges. "It looks like an oversized spring knife," Tethys remarked. "With a meaner bite," replied Jericho.

He gently put the blade on the ground, letting Elara look at the runes. "Right… Let's see," she said as he reached into her pouch, pulling out a small book. "Those runes are more complicated. Thank Malefor I'm here, huh?" she grinned. To Jericho and Tethys, they were just gibberish. Jericho looked and found himself unable to read anything.

"Okay… It's a phrase engraved in the blade. 'For in Moonlight He shall rise again.' Huh… That's referring to Malefor, I think. Eternal Night, that kinda stuff. Where Gaul almost succeeded in summoning Malefor." Jericho nodded.

"Fair. Well, I guess we'll keep it for now. Might make for a good trophy," Tethys said. "I mean, how are we even supposed to hold swords?"

"Get some rope and tie it to your tail," the dragoness smirked. "Like a scorpion."

"No one is going to try that anytime soon…" Jericho said. "Let's fold that sword and get out of here. We're supposed to do more scouting on altars, and I believe that in the forthcoming days, we'll get news from Hallimede for the Warfang part and Tarvos from the Followers."

"I saw Hallimede while recovering the body. After all, he's the one that provided it to me. He's trying not to blow his cover since Spyro and Cynder are on them."

"Bastards," Jericho growled under his breath.

"After the war they thought detective business was their thing to do, even though they would have a lifetime of gifts, money and everything for, eh, 'saving the world'. They couldn't just go in their tower and leave us alone, could they? They must be the 'heroes'," Tethys sighed.

"Whatever they are, they will be the first ones to fall as Malefor rises," the blue dragon said. "I promised their heads to the Great Follower. Whatever it takes," he said as he picked up the blade, trying to fold it back. He couldn't, and almost cut himself with it. "Anyways, let's go. Back to camp."

* * *

The campfire was lit once again, as Jericho sat by it, still holding the blade they were rewarded with. He couldn't help but feel like if it was important to him.

He held the blade over the fire, seeing if anything would happen. Indeed, the blade heated up, but nothing else. In fact, it didn't warp or discolor. "Sturdy stuff," he said out loud, getting Tethys' attention.

"I don't think it's made for us."

"Right, then who? It's way too large for a mole, and I doubt apes even use those kinds of swords."

"Tie it to your hands," Tethys joked.

"No way. It makes for a good trophy though…" Jericho said as he put the blade down next to him, still observing how it refracted the fire. _It's too much of a coincidence that this sword resembles my scales so much… Maybe…_

"Still staring at that sword, o great Leader?" Elara joined in. Much to Jericho's displeasure. He groaned, laid his head back and rested in the grass. He couldn't handle pressure for long, and the sacrifice took most of his energy away. "Can't leave me alone, can you?"

"No, just wondering what's next. We still must hear from our runner, Tarvos. Reckon he'll be here anytime soon?"

"It takes a week to go to the Iridescent Dunes, so he'll be back, what, four days from now if I'm counting right," Jericho answered. "Depends if his wings fell off from his tricks."

"We're all jealous of him, aren't we?" Tethys said.

"It's not everyday we see an air dragon with such mastery of flight…" Elara dragged on. "Ooohh, if only I was born as Air, and not casted down to Earth…"

"At least you two have elements…" Jericho pouted.

"I'm sure you'll find yours. I mean, you've got the colors of an Ice dragon!" Tethys encouraged Jericho, in vain.

"Well… I didn't breathe out a single ice cube ever since I was born, so…" Jericho lifted his paws up, shrugging. "Maybe it'll come, but I haven't felt anything. I was never trained either, so figures… Even tried a magic crystal yesterday. Nothing. I guess it'll awaken when it does… Still, 17 years and nothing. When did you guys even discover yours?"

"Normally there's a practice that regular dragons do that stir their elements… What was it called? The Boundless Emergence? Ah, forget about it. I learnt how to spit rocks at 12."

"And my flames appeared at 11."

"So, I'm basically really late on throwing up water chunks…" Jericho said, a bit of envy and disappointment stinging at him._ It's not fair…_

"It'll come. You ever heard of a dragon without an element?" Tethys asked.

"Nuh-uh," the female replied. "It'll happen, Jericho. Only Malefor knows when."

"Hopefully soon…"

He rested in the soft grass, looking as the sun trekked through the skies, indicating the passing time. Time moved quickly. Too fast for Jericho's liking.

"Oh, Tethys? Weren't you supposed to go to Munitions Forge?" the dragoness chimed in.

"Yeah, just preparing a few things," the fire dragon replied as he checked his own pack. "Making sure that I have enough supplies. Should take a few days."

"It's hot there…" the leader thought out loud.

"Either way, see you around, Tethys. Keep listing and marking all the altars you see, alright?" Elara asked.

"Yeah. See you around," Tethys waved goodbye before slowly taking off, heading southwest.

"See you around, Tethys…" Jericho whispered. Now, he was alone again, with Elara.


	3. Interval 03 - Spires

**Author's notes: **

**I would like to share some art that my co-editor has made for the story, alongside mine. Unfortunately, FanFiction and such does not allow for easily linking. I invite you to search for the user "Thal-Verscholen" on DeviantArt. My gallery will contain a folder relating to everything Obscurust. Thank you for reading. If you would like to see improvements, please leave a review. They shall allow me to improve.**

* * *

"Spyro, wake up. We've got a witness account from someone."

The purple dragon raised his head from the desk that he fell asleep on. "Hmm…?"

Cynder sighed, as their son was next to her. "Spyro, you should sleep next to me and Ares instead on the case. But I've got news of it, either way. Some dragon named Anthe has tried to get in contact with us, as he saw something last night."

"Oh, huh… Wait, a witness? Finally!" he exclaimed, a bit of happiness coming back to the purple dragon. A lead! "Where are they at?"

"He's been at the door. He said he does not know who to tell. Guardians would have been much better at first, but… What do you know?" Cynder turned to the reddish dragon. "Ares, go to your room. This is… Grown up stuff."

"Okay, mom…" he sighed, going back upstairs.

"Let's see him now…" Spyro said. Cynder nodded, going to the door and opening it. There stood a yellow lightning dragon, his dull orange wings awkwardly folded on his sides. The dragon emanated an aura of… tension, if Spyro could describe it. He looked indeed worn and anxious.

What really caught their eyes though, was the sheer number of scars and wounds which crisscrossed over his body and limbs like a gruesome abstract pattern. It was as if he had been lashed and slashed a thousand times. Some were fresh, and oozing.

"H-h-h-h-h-hello, Sir Spyro, I-I am Anthe… I saw them! The apes!" he spluttered, almost on the verge of tears.

"Calm down. Tell us what happened-" Spyro attempted to say before he got cut off.

"They stabbed him in the throat! He couldn't- I heard him! He was dragged!" Anthe started to pummel the ground with his paws.

"Jeez, calm down!" Spyro demanded.

"S-so-so sorry! I just… It was… Like back then…" he drifted off, his gaze staring beyond the two heroes. They looked at each other, a bit disturbed.

"… Right."

"He must be a war veteran. Look at those old scars…" Spyro whispered to Cynder.

"He seems unstable… And a bit phony too. We need to send him to the Guardians; I feel like they'll do a better job with… Him." They turned back to face Anthe.

"Right. Do you know how to get to the guardians?" Cynder stated.

"Y-yes… The temple…" he said meekly. "I'll get going!" he said, already disappearing from the couple's view. He left them with a confused look on their face.

"The Apes, huh… This poor dragon needs to see our healer. Wounds look recent too."

"Oh, speaking of her. I was planning to take Ares to her today, for a check-up," Cynder recalled. "I suppose you'll be boring your brain out with the case again, with new evidence?"

"Depends…"

"I assume that's a yes," the dragoness sighed. "At least you've got a new lead. Just… Make sure it doesn't consume you."

"I'll try," Spyro said.

* * *

As soon as Hallimede was out of range, he couldn't help but struggle to hide his smile. He just had tricked two of the most powerful dragons in existence. He bit on his lower lip to avoid blowing any sort of cover. Can't believe they bought it! He hummed a childish tune gleefully.

He shook his head, grinning. He couldn't help his twitchy nerves and movements, but he was excited. He did well, and if the idiots believed his false testimony, the Crescents and Followers would be clear of trouble for a good while from them.

He bounced in his walk, totally different from the demeanor he was faking. He still made sure nobody was looking at him funny, as he danced excitedly in his step. He was being very expressive, and that is where he felt the most alive. Finally, he stuck it to the purple dragon. Finally, Jericho and the others will see him for what he truly is a master of trickery.

And it felt good, oh so good. Finally, some respect from the leader!

Of course, he wasn't going to see the Guardians. There was no way he would give them any advantage whatsoever. He just walked through Warfang, ignoring the few looks of pity he got. He wore his scars proudly; they were a reminder of who he was, one of the greatest Followers. He and he alone will take his rightful place once this world is rebuilt.

* * *

As per their duty, the active Guardians regrouped every day in the temple that the Dragon City, Warfang, held. Almost everyone was present, save for the Poison and Darkness guardian. Today, the topic was one they went through every week. The missing dragons.

"And so, if the rumors are true? What if there is indeed a cult doing those murders?" Flare, the fire guardian asked. Her red scales complimented her slim and agile body.

"We don't have a clear answer for that. Another went missing last night and the family wants answers. But we've turned every stone over in Warfang, for nothing. They vanish," replied Cyril.

"And why is that? Do they come willingly to their doom? There must be something to it," replied Flare. "More surveillance hasn't yielded anything either."

"Surveillance is our best bet for now. We do not want to start a panic," said the Fear guardian, Citralo. Deep ruby scales covered every aspect of his body, as his confident voice reassured the others.

"It won't do much if those kidnappings keep happening. We need some proof. Something. Else said panic will spread like wildfire," Terrador, the Earth Guardian said.

"We shall then issue a warning. For people to be careful while going out at night," Citralo proposed.

"Hm… I hope we'll get a real lead soon," Tyaphyn, the Wind guardian, said. Her scales were of a dark silver, almost resembling cold metal. She looked outside the temple, through a window. The sun was bright and shining, but it didn't reflect her mood.

"May this curse end soon…"

* * *

"And that should be everything they need," Odyss said. The pale red dragon looked over Tarvos' pack, making sure every necessary item was taken.

"Alright, final check. A message for everyone, a new translation book for Elara, new dark and soul gems for Hallimede, and Jericho's medication… Isn't it a bit too much?" the light grey dragon asked.

"Both Elara and Jericho need it to clear their mind. Their tasks are of great importance, after all."

"True, but I don't want them to, you know…"

"Overdose is unlikely, Tarvos. I understand your worry, but it is unnecessary. Focus your energy on navigation." The wind dragon nodded.

"Got it. And for the rest… A gift for Jericho and Elara, for their performance. You already got yours," Odyss smiled, which Tarvos answered with his own.

"And that should be everything you need."

The wind dragon slung the bag on his back, making sure it wasn't bothering his wings before he extended them halfway through, inspecting for any damage before flight.

"Fair flight, Tarvos."

"Fair life, Odyss," he said, as he headed for the exit.

Thankfully, the cavern was well-hidden. Apart from a few holes for light, there was no trace of activity there. Pawprints were wiped out by the regular sandstorms the Iridescent Plains experienced. As soon as was outside and well-clear of the cavern, he sighed. _Time to fly._

The grey dragon looked around, making sure nobody was looking at him before he stretched his limbs like a cat would. Tarvos extended his silver wings. They were longer and smoother than the average. He had them vibrate as he projected cold air into them, clearing them of any dust, before he jumped and hovered in the air, wind pushing him upwards, before it pushed him forwards, as he locked his wings in place. _Perks of being a Wind dragon._

He gently let himself gain speed before the projected air became stronger, pushing him forwards. He didn't even need to flap his wings like any other dragon. His mastery of Wind let him fly without much strain or effort.

And soon enough he would be at high enough altitude to cruise comfortably. He relaxed, letting the wind carry him.

As he flew over the Iridescent Plains, he thought about what it would had looked like before Malefor's attempt at world reconstruction. It always was a desert, but many things changed in the years following Malefor's rise.

Giant glass shards seemed implanted in the sand, like glass panes exploded all over the desert. Those giant spires towered over the desert, giving it the name of the Glass Desert. They took on random patterns, like sawtooth ones or broken glass.

The light they refracted burnt even more areas of the desert, making it devoid of life. However, their sight hurt Tarvos more. He took a quick look at his paws, which became almost red from the number of wounds and scars there were on it. Therefore, he preferred being in the air, to reduce the pain.

As the intense heat glassed part of the desert, the region known as the Lonely Plains became known as the Iridescent Plains. Many locations were renamed in the wake of Malefor's plans, due to the change of climate or terrain.

It was indeed lonely even after the change. Not a single sprout of life anywhere but the Followers' home, hidden in the glass and dunes.

However, the heat was striking during the day

That was no matter to Tarvos, as he constantly projected cool air in front of him, cooling his scales down and keeping dust away from his eyes. While he had flight goggles, he preferred to keep them off, as they hurt his eyes during long use.

And so, he would be headed to the camp Jericho had set up in the forest, hidden from view. They had to change camp every two weeks, so it wouldn't be an issue for him to find the other Crescents back.

He always liked to fly high, away from the ground. The view was amazing from up there. Huge islands became nothing more than small dots. Clouds showered him in refreshing cold water as he flew through them.

It was only after a while that the sky darkened a little bit, as he flew over the sea. Now it was time for another of his tricks. He gently closed his eyes, as his senses became dull. To him, it was just like being on the ground, resting.

It wasn't long before he fell asleep mid-flight, his element carrying him without his focus.

* * *

"Right, Tarvos should be arriving today," Jericho told Elara.

"Good. Ever since Tethys left three days ago, I've been bored to death. No altars, no nothing. Not even any news from Halli'. And not a single altar either!" she groaned.

The sun was nearing it's fall, as dusk overtook the lands. Jericho got himself closer to the fire, warming both his scales and his heart, to simulate emotional warmth, something he never really had the chance to have. No matter, the fire was a good replacement.

He had a green magic crystal in his left paw, which he rolled between his digits lazily. He couldn't get anything from them yet, sadly._ It'll come soon, right? It must be ice, considering my color…_

He couldn't get that question out of his mind ever since Tethys and Elara talked about it. A dragon without element was twice as defenseless. He tried a few things written in books, but nothing. Not a single thing came out of his mouth but spit and air. _Maybe Tarvos knows something…_

As on cue, something appeared in the horizon, quickly approaching, until it landed in front of the two dragons.

"Tarvos!" Jericho squealed, running up to the silver dragon before almost tackling him in a hug, which the Wind dragon gleefully returned. "Nice to see you, friend," he said, making Jericho smile. He was rewarded with a small peck on the cheek, which made Jericho blush.

Poor Elara wished she had never seen that.

He broke the hug before showing renewed interest. "How are you doing? Did you fly well?" he asked, as Elara herself groaned in the background.

"Never better. Happy to see you too. Got you what you need. Rations, medication, and gift."

"Gift?" Jericho inched his muzzle forward.

"Yes. For you two." Now Elara also had interest.

"Anyways, I'll be washing up for a bit. Flew for three days straight…"

"And you're not tired?"

"I can sleep in mid-air," he answered. "Eitherway, I'll be going, so go check what I brought back. See you in a bit," said Tarvos as he headed into the forest. He knew that there was a small pond there.

Elara herself, which had her back turned, just sighed.

"I swear you two are going to go at it like rabbits behind my back," she said with an air of boredom.

"Hey!" Jericho whined. "It's only platonic, Elara. He's my best friend out of everyone I know."

"Aw, it isn't me?"

"Not in a thousand years, demon," he said jokingly, which Elara took with a small laugh. "Anyways. What did he bring us?" Jericho looked over the pack that the silver one left, opening it. He first pulled out a book. He couldn't read the title or contents, yet alone write.

"A translation book! Finally!" she smiled, snatching it from Jericho's hands, which didn't even flinch. "Only took them five years to get a new one!" Elara grinned, as Jericho kept looking through the pack. What he found next made him smile, as he quickly hid the bag in his own pouch, away from Elara which was browsing through the book. _Enough for a few weeks…_ _Sorry, Elara._

He kept reaching until finding a few crystals. He pulled them out on the ground, seeing their color. A few were deep white-blue, refracting the sunlight around them. _Soul gems… _The others were of a dark purple, giving off an uncomfortable era. His paws felt heavier as he handled them. _And dark gems… That's for Tethys then. _He set them aside.

Then he finally reached the bottom of the pack, pulling out two strange objects.

They were rectangular in nature, but the color differed. One of them matched his own scale color, being reflective dark blue like the night sky. The other was pale colored green, much like Elara's. It didn't take long to recognize what they did, as he flipped the blue one open, revealing a blue flame. _Lighters!_ He smiled.

"Hey Elara, that's probably for you," the male said, throwing the green lighter at her, which she managed to catch with her paw. "Those are lighters," he said as he closed his own.

"We're going to smoke pipes now?"

"No, they're the gift that Tarvos gave us. Be glad for once!"

"…Right. Could had been something more useful, but I'll do." She flicked the lighter open, as it revealed a potent flame, which didn't waver in the wind. _Good to start fires._

As Tarvos came back, the males began to discuss heavily about every subject. From how was Odyss, the Glass Desert, new flight techniques…

All those things that Elara promptly ignored. She was going to spend the rest of the day reading her new translation book.

* * *

Cynder entered the temple's infirmary, which itself wasn't very big. There was already a general hospital in Warfang, and this infirmary was more for injuries during training in the Dojo and such. Cynder wanted to go there so she would at least have a more familiar environment.

An ice dragoness was helping another patient, which seemingly broke one of their limbs. The dragoness herself sported deep navy-blue scales, as her horns, which pointed straight, were of a lighter blue, looking like icicles. She also wore a soft membrane on her back, which looked aquatic in nature. She had a stethoscope on her neck.

"Here, don't worry. The crystal will do the work for you," she said in a soft and comforting voice, as she pressed a red health crystal to his arm, which seemed to sink into the dragon as it reduced size. "There we go, you'll do fine now. Rest for a bit, I have another to attend to."

When she was done, she turned back, about to greet the dragoness and her son, before she realized who was in front of her.

"Cynder!" she said gleefully. The black dragoness herself smiled, flattered. Latis approached to greet them.

"Nice to meet the heroes. My name is Latis," the ice dragoness said, happily. She was gleeful to see Cynder, the one that saved the world alongside Spyro. "And who are you, little one?" Latis asked, crouching to Ares' level.

"M-My name is Ares," the dragon replied, shyly.

"Well, Ares, what brings you here?"

"Mom wants me t-to be checked up." Cynder nodded to Latis.

"Alright then, all good. Would you like to watch, Cynder?"

"Sure," she smiled. "I'm certain he's in good paws."

"Definitely. I've been an apprentice from the best," said Latis as she invited Ares to sit on a small bed.

"By who?"

"I think her name was Alyssa. I've been alive for 17 years and I got to thank her for all she did in my lifetime. A second mother, you could say."

"Uh-huh," Cynder said, as Latis gently moved Ares' limbs, checking if everything was in order. She took a small reflex hammer, the kind used for testing limbs and gently tapped on Ares' articulations, seeing if there was a reaction, much to Cynder's worry. Seeing someone with a hammer next to her child kicked in her natural motherly instincts, but she shook her head. It was silly.

Latis then took the stethoscope and equipped it. "Deep breaths, Ares," she said, as the younger child did just as he was told. She placed the stethoscope on multiple spots on his chest and back. After that, Latis smiled.

"He's definitely healthy so far. Alright, little one, on the weight," she said, as she pointed to a scale, which Ares stepped on.

"Mhm… 55 kilograms. A healthy dragon for your age."

It didn't take long for the examination to be finished. Latis took Ares' measurements, made him pace a bit and listened to his heart again amongst other minor medical things. She took off the stethoscope back on her neck and smiled.

"He's perfectly healthy. Nothing special to declare, but I'd recommend some vitamins to keep his immune system up."

"Why not. I trust your judgement as the Temple Healer." Latis reached into a cabinet, getting a pill bottle, handing it to Cynder. Thankfully the dragoness was carrying a pouch resting on her flank.

"Here you go, one a day. They're chewy, and for free since, well, you're a hero," Latis smiled. Cynder took the pill bottle, still a bit ashamed.

"Uh… You're sure you don't need paym-"

"Of course not! No worries. Take good care of Ares, that'll be all."

The black dragon responded with a small smile, and a nod. "Well, I won't disturb you any longer."

"Oh, by all means, you can stay!" Latis exclaimed. "It's not everyday I get to see someone like you. I guess I'm a fan. Plus, I was just about done with another patient."

"Alright… Sure, as Spyro is busy as always. What's up?" Cynder asked.

"Nothing much thankfully. I'm just here to heal the few that train in the Dojo and overextend themselves." Latis then approached Cynder so that Ares wouldn't hear what she said next. "I'm also, sadly, the on-call coroner. It's my duty to collect dead bodies, perform autopsies and managing the morgue." The black dragoness got a bit disgusted at the mental image, but she shook it off. Latis however came back to happier subjects.

They talked about how she used her element and medical knowledge to the best, but that she was still a bit new in the field, and that she was glad for the opportunity to work at the temple. It seemed like Latis could go on and talk endlessly about her profession. In her eyes was a real passion for the medical field. But it was clear she would not stop talking at all.

"I'd even do it for free," she concluded.

"Hm… Yeah. Uh… I have to go now, though," Cynder said, trying to get the gluepot that was Latis off her.

"Right, sorry! There just isn't anything much exciting happening, so…"

"I understand, but I have to go. Spyro won't eat if I don't remind him…" The ice dragoness nodded. "See you down the line."

"See you!" Latis waved goodbye as Cynder and Ares exited the infirmary.

* * *

While the boys were trying to sleep, the Scribe was focused on another task.

"Huh…" Elara said to herself. She could now fully understand what runes were written on the sword they had collected earlier due to the new book. She observed the sword to candlelight and carefully translated them.

_In moonlight He shall rise, for the Realms are his rightful belonging. _She thought, as she read the rest. _To whom shall wield this blade Mir… Mir will grant his blessings. Mir? Never heard that name. Malefor?_

"Hey, Jericho. Ever heard of the name Mir?" she asked, curious. The two other males have been trying to sleep, but Elara wouldn't let them for now. Jericho himself was wrapped within a comforter, as the night was a bit cold. He was shaking a little bit.

"No. Might be another name for Malefor? I mean, we call him the Dark Master, the Destroyer of Worlds or even Arhama… No idea on Mir."

"Right," she said, as she inspected at the injector Jericho himself had acquired._ Stimulant injector. As the user partakes in combat, this object shall turn the tides, transforming the lowest of beasts into fierce warriors. Mir smiles upon their fighting spirit._

"Another reference of that name… Ah, it's nothing," she sighed, dropping the injector on the ground next to the sword.

"Let's just sleep," Tarvos sighed, as he closed his eyes again.

She sighed, putting out the small candle before curling into a ball, closing her eyes. But she couldn't. Her brain wanted to understand what those mysterious sayings on the sword and injector meant, especially the foreign name. _Probably nothing…_

* * *

**Closing notes :**

**If you've read Legacy of Legends (which you definitely should do), you may recognise a few character(s). There is a reason that they are here, and we'll explore that later. I hope you enjoyed.**

**Many thanks to Blaudr for the help and beta reading.**


	4. Interval 04 - Memories

**Author's notes : This is a bit late, but I still hope you will enjoy. Things are moving forwards, and I can't wait to share more. I'll try uploading more regularly, but would you rather have chapters faster with less words per chapters or wait longer for chapters with bigger word counts? Do tell me. Every review helps.**

* * *

Latis slowly stirred awake in her bed. She yawned, stretching her limbs much like a cat, before she pulled off the covers from her body, basking in the morning sun, eyes closed.

She wasn't proud of what she did last night, and her dreams reflected such. Another body, yet again. But it was part of the deal. There was a reason she was here.

Yet, she had memories of a previous… Time. Not one she remembers very well. She only really remembers her training as a healer, done by a certain Alyssa, an Earth dragoness. Latis was certain of it. She also had memories of a certain electric dragon, one she supposedly had feelings for… Yet, sadly, it was only distant. So close, yet so far.

"Ze… Za… Zaaa… No. Maybe Pha… Phasing?" she mouthed, trying to remember that name. Yet, it escaped her. She groaned, her attempts fruitless. Every morning she would try to remember something about it, but it was impossible

She remembers one thing, however. Malefor. She was struck down by Malefor. She remembers an Aether Convexity beam striking her. The most pain she's ever felt in life. She didn't remember why she didn't duck for cover, why she ran in front of it. Her fins rattled in annoyance, as she tried to understand all that happened in her so-called previous life.

But did it matter now? Why did she try to keep holding on that memory while a new future awaited? One where she was welcomed once again.

That question would remain unanswered. She had to move on. And keep going. _Fire in my lungs, burning inferno in my heart. Let's go._

The dragoness rolled herself out of her bed, looking upwards as her vision adjusted to the light that bled in her room. She slept in the infirmary, right next to the patient rooms in case something happened. But as usual, everyone that went to the infirmary was gone by dusk.

She walked up to her sink, turning on the water, letting the basin fill before she dunked her head in the cold water, trying to wake up. She didn't sleep too well this time. But no matter. Today was going to be another day of mending, repairing broken bones, strained muscles, cuts and the like. Nothing too crazy. She dried her head with a towel, looking at herself in the mirror, which she hadn't done in a long time. She had baggy azure blue eyes, evidence of her lack of sleep.

The dragoness was a run of the mill Ice dragon. She obviously was pale sky blue of color, being an Ice dragoness after all. Dark blue-purple dressed her wing membrane, along with a streak of purple running through the back of her neck, back and tail, along with her frills, which faded back into her blue color, just like her horns, which sheened both colors. Her fins waved a tiny bit, as she smiled to herself. _Stay wiggly, healer,_ Latis laughed at herself, as she rubbed a few loose scales off.

She reached into her fridge to reach for a small bottle of spirits. It was also full of other medical liquids, but she valued her bottle of spirits more. She took a short swig. She wasn't alcoholic, but it helped with starting the day for her. The strong drink burnt at her throat, waking her up. It felt good. _Fridge whiskey in the morning, a cure for all aliments..._

After all of that, she put on her side pouch, a red cross sewn into it, as multiple crystals of all sorts rested in it._ Red heals, green recharges, and... Ah, I'll remember the rest._ Latis sighed, getting ready for a new day of work. Minor injuries were routine with the young dragons training in the Dojo. She silently begged for something more exciting but was wary of that wish. Being the coroner wasn't her favorite line of work… But it was necessary. In many ways. Some she wished that she never knew of.

The Machine's hunger had to be silenced.

* * *

"So, if the Apes are behind this… It would make sense. Even though most of them went extinct or lost sapience after the reconstruction of the world, they could be worshipping someone with those altars… Probably Malefor," he sighed. He was back again at his desk, quill in his paw, writing his thoughts on a piece of paper. "We don't keep track of them anymore. We tried communication a few times, and we were chased away. No leader like Gaul or anything too…" he read out loud as he wrote. "Then we can assume one tribe, or a few. We've left them alone after our attempts, as they weren't trouble, but now…"

Spyro looked off to the side, where Cynder was busy playing with Ares, creating small puffs of smoke, which he waved his paws at, trying to catch them. Spyro smiled, before resuming his writings.

"It could be apes with a dragon leader for all we know. One we could know. Even that Anthe person… A bit suspicious, I must say. But... There is no... Nothing that points us in the right direction. If we had someone that knew more about those altars..."

Spyro dropped his pencil, sighing. "I'm just going in circles for that one, am I not?"

"Yes you are," Cynder said.

"Ugh... I'll take a break. Can you look over? Maybe a lady's intellect can help."

"Still the charmer, Spyro. Sure," Cynder said, leaving Ares to play with a few toys. She looked over Spyro's shoulder, looking at his writings. She checked if anything seemed out of the ordinary or for a certain detail, but nothing came up. There wasn't anything to say. "Well... I can't tell you much. Feels like the coldest case of all," she sighed. "I mean, people don't disappear just like that. It's not like they walk towards their grave or anything. Maybe we should look at something else for the time being?"

"Y-Yeah, but that's really all we got... We'll figure it out one day, I promise."

Cynder turned around to check on Ares. He was doing fine.

"Cynder, do you remember why I decided to become a detective?" Spyro asked. "Why I bother myself with cold cases, even if it leaves me sleepless?"

She shook her head. She knew the story very well, but it always brought hope to Spyro back whenever he told it.

"I… Ignitus said something before he died. To follow our heart."

Spyro sighed, the painful memory replaying through his head. How he let his dark self take over. How Cynder brought him back to himself.

"That it will never fail us."

Cynder nodded grimly. Even after all those years, it was a touchy subject.

"… To me, it means doing what's right. If I am to be the hero that he saw in me, I have to keep going."

"We've saved the world, and you want to keep going?"

"I do. I want the Realms to be a better place for everyone, and… And that begins with helping others, Cynder. It's what we did by protecting Warfang back then. We saved people." Spyro took a small pose, Cynder's expression getting softer. "I… Want to keep going. We've already helped catch drug traders, thieves, molesters, murderers… And I don't plan to stop. I… I'm doing what's right. WE'RE doing what's right," he said.

"And that's why I love you so much, Spyro. You're a hero, and a good dragon. That's why I followed you into it." The black dragoness gently hugged Spyro from behind, which smiled.

"We're doing the right thing by helping and saving all of those dragons. That's why I bother with the cold cases. Nobody is beyond saving but… Him," Spyro stated. His expression got darker. "I hope he's not behind the kidnappings and such."

"It can't be. We saw him casted down to the Earth's core, by spirits, probably the Ancients. We even rebuilt the world, and now there is not a single hint of him being back, or anything of the like," Cynder reasoned. "Either way. Rest a bit and take care of Ares with me."

"On it," he smiled, leaving his desk to turn to their child, which was playing with a health crystal. Health crystals were inert to uninjured people, so it was safe for a child to play with. Spyro sat next to him, and started to make small puffs of smoke like Cynder did, to entertain Ares.

He had to spend more time with his son, but the case at hand was still as mysterious as ever. Maybe there will be a breakthrough soon, Spyro thought.

* * *

Today, again, Jericho didn't feel good. Another nightmare. Another one where he killed again.

He remembered the smell of burning flesh, as a young dragon like him was burnt alive. The screams shook him deep at his core, even though it wasn't real. Or was it? Did he burn someone at the stake? He couldn't remember. And it was all for the better. Some memories are better left forgotten.

Those of the Sanitarium even more so. His body shook at the thought. _No. Not this place. Stop._ His mind raced to scramble the images of the sanitarium.

He was laying down in the grass, next to Elara. Tarvos was gone for now, doing some altar hunting and general reconnaissance. Jericho proposed to go too but the kind dragon allowed him to rest. His mind would not, however. A few dangerous questions brewed there. He only had Elara to talk to about his feelings, as he didn't want to break or damage his friendship with the silver dragon. Thankfully, Elara cut in before anything.

"You ever see flying jellyfishes around here? We're close to the Ancient Grove, so…"

"Flying jellyfishes?" Jericho blurted; a bit confused by the mental image. "Aren't they waterborne?"

"Apparently Tethys saw a few flying on and about the Grove in his scouting missions and the like. A bit crazy, huh?"

"… At this point I'm not sure what to expect from this world. All of it is just strange."

"Hence why we will bring up the new one soon." Elara gently yawned, stretching her limbs.

As soon as silence fell, Jericho went back in his bunker of thoughts, eyes closed. Dark questions resurfaced at Elara's last words. The new world they would be in… What would it be like?

He was told that it would be shaped by their own will. The mountains they would see in the distance would had been created at their will. A world everyone could pitch in.

A world he would transfer over to.

Right?

There was something bugging him. Would he be the same? Would he be a puddle of flesh? Muscles grossly shaped like an altar, teeth growing over it…?

His imagination ran wild while his pupils dilated. Monsters drew themselves in his mind, much like the shapes he saw in the forest. He tried opening his eyes, but it was too late.

When he opened his eyes again, he was now standing in a dimly lit area, where unknown patterns drew themselves in the darkness, creeping ever so closer.

Then he saw it. Something he couldn't describe. It maybe was… A mass of rotten skin and tissue draped over a celestial orb, above an endless void sky. Large bone teeth grew out of the mass, twisting and turning into interminable vertigo.

But the eyes. Huge yellow eyes pierced his form. It was too much for him. Way too much. Falling into an empty void, he couldn't. He couldn't proceed what he saw. His mind only read out whispers.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Jericho screamed, as he fell to the ground.

Elara almost screamed back while Jericho kept at it.

"NO! NO NO NO NO!" he screamed as he flailed, startling Elara.

"Hey! What's wrong with you?" she struck back, an expression on fear on her face.

"F-F-Argh!" Jericho shouted, rolling up on his paws. "I'm sorry!" he screamed in Elara's face, which recoiled backwards.

"Jericho, oh by Malefor! Will you stop trying to scare me?!" the dragoness tensed up. She was in an aggressive position, ready to strike at the male. The Leader recognized the danger he was putting himself in, and he stepped back, being slow. "What's wrong with you?!"

"I-I-I-I... I saw something..." he said, taking in deep breaths. Elara let out a drawn-out sigh, sitting back on her rear. Jericho did the same.

"What was it this time, Jericho? I swear this gets worse and worse. What. Did. You. See?"

"I just... Saw something I shouldn't have seen in my imagination." He gestured with his arms up in the air. "Some... Mass of flesh, melting over... Something," he tried to explain to a disgruntled Elara.

"Can you stop with the macabre thoughts? No, really. You keep imagining monsters that aren't there. We have NEVER seen a single monster." Jericho nodded.

"I know... I know. I don't see any reason why I have those thoughts and such, though... I guess it's my duty to accept it," he sighed.

"Well, next time do less of the screaming. "

"I... I'll try," he sighed.

They both thought for a while. Elara then started the conversation back again.

"Jericho, okay, I guess I understand that you're having some strong thoughts, but please… Don't lose sight of yourself and our mission."

"Okay…" he said, laying back down. He was now calm again. _It's nice when she's nice herself…_

"… Plus, I'm busy with my own research. What or who is Mir? Why is the name… A bit familiar?" she asked. Jericho shook his head.

"Can't help you there… Ask Tarvos that when he's back, he'll send the message to the Great Follower."

"Hm. Wish I still had some artifacts before sending them off; they would had been useful. Being able to read all of those new things help."

"Like, the strange helmet that didn't fit us?"

"Yeah, amongst other things."

They heard a dragon landing behind them. It was Tarvos. His bright attitude made Jericho smile again.

"Hey, I'm back. Thought I may hunt so you don't have to eat dried rations again. Hope you like fish," the wind dragon smiled, brandishing two massive carps in his paws.

"Definitely!" the two other dragons replied at the same time, salivating.

* * *

As the night fell again, Jericho still stood outside, staring at the stars and celestial moons. Unfortunately, as soon as Tarvos and Elara went to sleep, his mood dropped to its lowest point.

He was again lost in his thoughts, the images he saw earlier What happened back there? What led him to think of such a grotesque and horrible... Entity? Why did he even think about such things in plain daylight? Was it... The artifacts?

The wound where he stabbed himself with the injector still stung, as if the poison it released still coursed through his veins. _It probably was a mistake... Then again, it felt good..._

Jericho groaned in exasperation. What was going on? Why was he even doing all of this? His mission? Was it for absolution? What was it? Why did he even exist? What is the meaning of everything?

He gritted his teeth, clearing his mind forcefully. He had to stop thinking about those questions.

"_I am here to seek out artifacts, to strenghten our cause and one day awaken Malefor once again. We just need... Something. The Great Follower told me that it'll come from the artefacts. Thus, we need to collect them... And send them back..." _he whispered to himself. This was his mission. He had to do it for a better world. He wasn't here to question his faith in Malefor and the Great Follower. They are the reason he's here, his meaning, his everything.

He was raised alongside the other Crescents to accomplish this mission. He was trained for it.

He had to do this alone.

_Alone..._

The truth was, even with the moons, Elara and Tarvos around…

_I feel alone… _

Jericho sniffled up a few tears. They would never understand. The penance he tried to hide to them.

_Never..._

* * *

**Closing notes: I am sadly a bit disappointed at this chapter, namely for how long it took me to make it. But well, things are just starting... I hope you'll be along for the storm. Thank you for reading.**


	5. Interval 05 - Rage

"... Well, no nightmares today," Jericho sighed, lifting himself up from the cold stone.

The blue dragon looked around. It was barely dawn, but Tarvos decided to wake up Jericho, which ended up falling asleep outside. He felt energetic and refreshed, and free from worry, even if that was the case only for a little while.

"Hope you didn't catch a cold," Tarvos said. Jericho brought a paw to his nose. Just a bit of snot.

"Seems that I'm fi... ACHOO!" Jericho shouted as he sneezed. Tarvos laughed, Jericho smiling back a bit sheepishly. He shook his paw free of snot.

"Well, my friend, that came out of nowhere. Don't worry, it'll pass in a few days." said Tarvos as he circled the leader.

"Quickly enough," Jericho yawned. He raised himself up on his paws, before looking at the rising sun. "Is Elara asleep?"

"No, she's out waiting for me, we're going searching for crystals. Especially Fury and Spirit crystals," Tarvos said.

"Fury and Spirit, huh..." _Fury crystals temporarily increases your element and physical power, while Spirit ones lets you... Learn new things? Permanently enhances your abilities to use your element? No dragon could describe it to me. It's a 'you'll know when you feel it' thing. Wait, this is my opportunity..._

"Tarvos? I wanted to ask you something."

"Go for it."

"Right, so... You know how I have no element, right?" Jericho gestured with his front paw, imagining himself generating elemental power. Nothing happened, as expected...

"I do." Tarvos nodded, understanding Jericho's plight.

"Well... I'll admit it, I haven't tried those two types of crystals yet, in a long time. They're rare after all. I'm curious to see if... They will awaken something. I mean, how did your powers come to for yourself?"

"I... Like to keep that private, but I'll tell you that it was intense training." Jericho nodded. He knew the multiple scars on his extremities were there for a reason. He could even see Tarvos' limbs shake, as he usually does when stressed. _Is that how I would awaken my... Power? By Malefor..._

"I... I hope it won't be the case with me," Jericho whined.

"It won't. You were treated the best still. Either way... We'll find some and give them to you. Hey, maybe something will happen."

_I was treated the best, true... But why? Any of them would had made better leaders._

He sighed, clearing out the thoughts in his head. "I'm betting on it. Whatever happens, if it shows anything, I'll be happy."

"I hope so, Jericho. It would be nice to see you happy," the Wind dragon smiled.

"T-Thanks," Jericho blurted out, ashamed. He held back a small blush. "I won't do anything stupid while you two are gone."

"Nor will us. Now stay put. It'll take us an hour at best. And please don't get killed," said Tarvos as he spread open his large wings, taking flight towards the forest.

* * *

_Okay... So, I'm alone now. Good._

Jericho wouldn't lie to himself this time, he wanted some alone time, where he could be at peace. He was more interested in the objects that they acquired from the altars. Now that he was truly free, he could finally experiment with them.

He started with the blade that he left in the tent, which he found to be the most interesting object out of them all. He took it in his paws, making sure not to stab himself with the hefty sword. Jericho looked at the sword, examining it's intricacies. The rune markings on the hilt, the grooves in the blade... _How did it even fit in the hilt's groove? It's longer than that..._

The dragon tried to fold the blade once again, but it wouldn't move or rotate in any way. But...

It just felt right to hold in his hands. Jericho's claws seemingly tingled, as if the blade held some secret power inside. It almost felt natural to handle it. _Dragons aren't meant to wield swords... We're not bipedal. Either way..._

He gently put the blade down, still in awe at it. It was a beautiful weapon, it's craftsmanship near perfect. In fact, he wondered who made it. Who made all of those artefacts? _Who knows...? Perhaps Malefor in his downfall, in his last will... Or the Ancestors?_

He shook his head and resumed pacing through what artefacts were left. He grabbed Elara's lighter, flipping it on, revealing a nice blue flame, with green accents. He smiled, noticing the flames were also customized to their scale color. _I like those lighters though. The Great Follower still cares about us... We don't smoke though,_ he giggled to himself. The image of himself smoking on a pipe was somehow funny. Would he have a deeper voice if his parents smoked? That myth was still unclear to him.

Ah, his parents. He never knew about it. The Great Follower said that he was an abandoned egg, that he was found and given a chance. His egg was apparently the same coloring as his scales, which is usual, but it begged the question: would he ever know what his parents were? What they would look like?

He started to talk to himself.

"I wish I knew my parents, like... I was an orphan, but where did I come from? If I had my parents, I'd know my elements. Right, Ela-"

He turned to his side. She wasn't there. _Why did I...?_

He shook his head. He needed to focus. What was the artefact he needed? He reached into the tent, opening the pouch Elara left behind. In it shone the artefacts they collected. But the copper cylinder took his attention the most.

_The Injector... _Jericho thought. He was strangely drawn to it again, like if something in the back of his mind pushed him to place his hands on it. He withdrew it from Elara's artefact pouch, feeling the cold copper metal in his paws.

He got out of the tent, and then observed it some more, running a claw in the engravings. Why was it so fascinating? Why was this small cylinder with a needle so... Compelling?

Jericho aimed the injector at himself on his shoulder, where he stabbed himself previously. His heart was beating like crazy. There were pangs of doubt in his mind, as his senses dimmed. _Why should I... ?_

Without any warning, he stabbed himself with the injector, making him yelp in pain. And almost instantly, the same effects came back. Lights flashed around his vision. His heart rate increased dramatically. He felt the energy through all of his muscles. He wanted, no, NEEDED to run. The injector seemed to have bitten into his scales, holding on.

So, he did. He picked up the pace around the edge of the cliff they were camping on, finally running at full speed alongside it. He didn't feel any strain nor exhaustion as he kept at it for thirty seconds, before running back at full speed back to the camp.

Finally, he ripped out the injector from his flesh, exhaustion coming back as soon as it disconnected. He fell to the ground, next to the sword he had examined before.

"Wow..." he said, still a bit stunned, laying down on the ground. _So that's it's power... Amazing!_ he said, giving off a small sheepish smile to the sky. The rush felt great, and his paws felt a bit numb. It was an artefact he'd like to keep around, definitely.

Jericho got up, sighing. _Well, that was fun._

Either way, the dragon put all of the artefacts back into Elara's pouch but the sword, which he kept by himself. He now grabbed Elara's translation book, looking for the page that showed the runes he was looking for, the ones on his sword.

_Ah, there we go._

He brushed a claw against the different runes, all of them having weird shapes he couldn't identify well. After a while, he deciphered what was on the blade.

_In Moonlight He shall rise, for the Realms are his rightful belonging. To whom shall wield this blade Mir will grant his blessings. Yeah, that's what Elara figured out. Albeit I'm curious about the name Mir..._

A small shiver ran down his spine. What if it was another purple dragon? Or the Great Follower's name?

Nobody knew what was the true name of the Great Follower. He was either called Great Follower, Greater One or The Penitent Ascendant. _Someone else perhaps? Eh, this is creeping me out... _He laughed nervously. For some reason, the name dug a deep pit in his stomach.

He sighed, putting Elara's translation book where it was supposed to be. He then turned back, still focused on that sword. Why was it so mesmerizing about it? Why was he so...

That's when he noticed. Something came out of the bushes, straight for him. Jericho yelped, throwing himself off to the side before he could be struck, taking a look at his assailant.

The... Ape had its eyes gouged out; black goo dried upon them. It snarled at Jericho in a terrifying way, prompting him to growl back. There was no way he was avoiding a fight now. _Time to fight...!_

Jericho took up a defensive pose, trying to see what the ape would do next. Without his element, he was more vulnerable than most. He then decided to charge the creature, striking it with his head. He managed to knock it down, but felt a sharp pain in his flank as the ape-like creature tore into it just as he impacted. He groaned, starting to claw at the beast in the neck, before he was kicked back, the sharp talons of the creature tearing into his stomach once again. He shouted in pain, looking again at his opponent. Despite having its throat ripped out, it still stood, making horrible rasping noises.

Jericho shook, the creature moving unnaturally, twitching as if it was not... An ape. He strafed to the side with a powerful flap of his wings, striking the creature with his tail. But it did nothing. Instead, his tail was grabbed, and he was pulled down on his belly, blood covering the grass behind him.

He noticed the blue bladed sword was in front of him. That's when he had an idea. He had to put down this thing with whatever he had available. The ape-like monster clawed into his back, but Jericho ignored the pain. He had to win this.

With all of his might, Jericho grabbed the sword in his right paw, and screamed, spinning to strike his assailant. The next thing he knew, his muzzle was splashed with blood, as the ape's head was decapitated right off. He dropped the bloodened sword next to him, knowing the fight was over. He sighed before groaning in pain, the strike he received on his left flank pulsing in pain. _Ugh, not my day... Fu-_

"Oh, by Malefor! Jericho!" Tarvos screamed, hurrying over to land over him. "Are you okay? What got you?"

"I- I'm fine," Jericho said, the gash on his flank bleeding. He pressed his paw to it.

"Here, have this," Tarvos said as he put a large health crystal in Jericho's paw. Squeezing the crystal, Jericho focused away from the pain, letting the soothing power of the crystal seep into him and heal his wounds. He closed his eyes as his wounds stung, but he shook it off, as the crystal's magic mended everything in his body. He let out a long-drawn sigh as relief washed over him.

Elara soon landed near him; a bit startled. "What got you?" she asked.

"Some ape... It's dead," he said, pointing at the corpse.

"No kidding, you took his head right off. With the sword?"

"Yeah... It's crazy sharp," he said.

"Very unusual for a dragon to use a sword, but hey, you're not dead yet." Jericho then let himself rest on his side, stretching his paws.

"What even is this ape?" Elara said, flipping over the corpse. "It looks... Evil and stuff."

"Just... Throw it off the cliff," Jericho groaned, not wanting to see what that thing was again. "I'll go to the river and... Wash whatever stuff that's on my scales," he said, heaving a bit. He lifted himself up, noticing Elara's discontent as she examined the body, slowly pushing it to the edge of the cliff.

He started to walk towards the small river that ran nearby. When he arrived, he dunked his head in the water, washing off all the blood on his muzzle. Then, he walked into the stream until the water covered his whole body, the cold soothing him, as it washed all of the blood away. _Ahhh... Much better..._

Jericho exited the water, shaking himself off before returning to the camp. There was no trace of the ape thing anymore, just a dark blood trail leading to the cliff. _I hope the scavengers don't have that for lunch..._

He was still a bit shocked at what the creature was, but he tried not to think about it. He's seen worse... And done worse.

* * *

"So, Tarvos, the crystals. Got any?" Jericho asked. It has been a couple of hours after they got rid of the corpse, Elara studying the artefacts even more. He was now eager to try those crystals. But a nameless fear awoke in his heart. What if they would do nothing? _No. Come on. Something will happen. I know it._

"Oh, right. Here you go, Jericho," Tarvos said as he gave the blue dragon two crystals. One of them was blue, the other a deep purple. _Soul and Fury..._

Jericho put the purple one at his paws, sitting down and focusing on the blue crystal. He closed his eyes, imagining himself in a void, without anything to disturb him. He then focused his thoughts on the crystal, trying to take in its power. It flowed to his core smoothly, tingling his limbs, but... Nothing. The energy of the crystal was blocked, denied. He cut the link, the remaining energy in his body fading away without anything. It did nothing, like the green magic gems. He growled, putting it aside and grabbing the Fury gem.

His heart skipped a beat as he imagined it's power. Pure rage contained in a single beautiful crystal. It tingled with power, ready to absorb it. His paws shook as he delved into his soul once again, trying to sense how his body would react to its awesome power.

The crystal's energy flowed through his entire body, but as soon as it tried to reach his heart, his core, it seemingly... Dissolved? Like if its power was wasted instead of surging through him, instead of being denied and staying in the crystal. It angered him.

"No, come on, this isn't funny! COME ON!" he screamed, denying that the crystals failed him once again. He threw what was left of the fury crystal at the ground, enough to shatter it into a thousand pieces. Elara shook her head at the scene, a small hint of sadness in her eyes.

Jericho just sobbed quietly like a hatchling. He was frustrated, very frustrated with himself. The fact that there wasn't anything working for his power. He wanted something. Anything. Let it be a single drop of water from his maw, confirming his ability as ice. Anything. Anything. Anything.

The blue dragon dropped to the ground, in pure disappointment.

"Hey, hey, hey. We're here, Jericho... We're here," Tarvos said as he quickly jumped over to Jericho, covering him with his large wings. Elara just turned her head away, disgusted. _Crybaby..._

Tarvos' embrace felt good, warm. Something he yearned yet won't ask for. Yet he kept crying. He was not sad, but frustrated. For almost two years, he had tried everything to find his element. May it be a light or dark one, or anything. Even a forgotten one.

It took a while but eventually, Jericho calmed down, and sighed, wiping his tears idly. Tarvos withdrew himself, giving the leader a smile. "Come on, we found something else too."

"Oh?" Jericho said, lifting his head up. A new discovery always piqued his interest.

"Yeah. Another artefact. A small one but still." Tarvos pulled something out of his side pouch. It was a golden gem, that seemed to be made out of metal. "Elara said it's some kind of storage crystal, whatever that means. You may as well have it; we didn't find any use for it."

"Thanks," Jericho said, grabbing the gem-like object. It had the same runes other artefacts had, and was fairly weighty. Slits were cut into every of its side, making it appear like a small lantern. "Huh... Maybe this is to stock up the energy of a crystal?"

"Beats me... I guess Elara will figure it out, am I right?" Tarvos grinned, looking at the dragoness. Her red weary eyes gazed upon Tarvos, and gave off a short sigh, before she resumed her reading. Jericho just held the crystal artefact in front of him.

"Right... Maybe one day we can also figure the name of Mir."

That name stuck with him, for some reason. But what was in the back of his mind was the creature he fought hours ago. He was not trained to be a direct fighter, due to his lack of elements.

Why was he even the leader?


	6. Interval 06 - Miasma

"... And that's all I can do for now. The crystal will do the rest, but you must give it time. There's only so much it can do for a broken wing bone," Latis explained.

"Fine... Ow. I'll be sure to land better next time."

"Well, go on your way then. And tell your parents that no, you aren't going to die. See you, little one," Latis said.

The young dragon exited the infirmary. Latis sat back into her chair, sighing. She was not too happy with the outcome of a broken wing bone. While red crystals helped the healing, there was a reason why they are only really used for gashes and the like. They accelerate the process, but not make it instant. It would require a lot of red crystals to heal a bone in a timely fashion, especially the complex ones that allow dragons to fly. Thus, the youngling would have to settle for a few weeks of rest. _If only Alyssa had let me rest like this… Then I would not even be competent at my craft, right?_

"Well... Looks like I'm done for the day?" she said to herself, looking at the clock. It was indeed past 18:00. She lifted herself up, humming a small song as she closed the door to the infirmary, flipping the sign to closed. Then, she sat back in the chair, looking at the papers over her desk. _Great, filing more… Wait. How long has it been since…?_

She turned around, looking at the calendar on the wall. Every 10 days were circled. And today was one of them. Her mood immediately tanked down, as she gulped.

Truth to be told, she felt weaker than usual. Days went by and by without any change in work or pace, but her body was starting to show symptoms common with old age. Pain in her muscles and articulations, nausea and other unwellness symptoms followed. It was hard for Latis to ignore it once it got bad. She shook her head, looking left and right before slowly raising herself from her desk, heading for the underground morgue. She double checked the door, making sure it was locked behind her.

It was time for the dark harvest.

* * *

When a dead dragon is placed in Latis' hands, she promises to do the proper burial rites, rituals and beliefs that bind a dragon's soul to nature. Then, she would cremate it and spread its ashes through nature and forest.

But it was an elaborate façade, one she wishes she never have to unveil to the world. Not until her own time came. Opening one of the cold storage lockers, she pulled out a body. She was not obliged to always process them on the spot. She could take a few days at least.

Taking the scalpel, Latis started to cut beneath the scales. She was still a coroner after all, and she had to dress a medical report on every dead body that enters. Not like they were verified either way, but she at least had to make it convincing for the victim's relatives.

Opening the flesh, she noticed that the heart of this dragon grew rotten, the muscle turned black. _Internal rot... Hm... Signs of corruption, perhaps dark crystal? Not sure though, but the cases have grown ever since… Usually ends up in death. Heart failure. Let's write it as that._

The powers that be just need something convincing. Sadly, she wanted to say the truth. To explain why she was doing this. To explain those mysterious deaths without the filter of she could not. She was bound to her secrets. Any attempt to break free would be... Foolish. She was clearly warned of that. _Okay... Right. Machine time._

Latis dragged the table along with her deeper into the morgue. She came across a concrete door, partially hidden in the walls. Her heart sunk into her stomach every single time she opened this door. She took the key from her pouch, turning it four times into the lock, before resuming the same procedure for the three other locks. No one would be able to open this door was it not for the key.

But every time she would even think of opening the door, a nameless fear seized her. She could not describe that deep feeling of uneasiness as she pushed the concrete door, entering the dark room.

She activated the light crystal. An object black as obsidian stood in the room, as it seemingly distorted the air around it, twisting and turning the wall behind it. As if it bled, dark tendrils around it dissolved into the air, the smell of burnt ashes overwhelmed the dragoness.

It looked like a long table, with a sort of crate on it next to it, unusual runes burnt into its surface. The dimensions of the contraptions were too perfect. She did not know what created it, but she knew how important it was to her.

It was hard to understand what it was saying. It was speaking, but Latis could barely understand it. It resembled nothing she knew. But she remembers being instructed. How it understood basic commands.

"Machine... I come to feed."

The distortion lessened, as black smoke raised from the altar like structure. Latis imagined it would be like the reports she heard about. Of other thought-to-be sacrificial altars propping up everywhere in the Dragon Realms, especially in Avalar. A pit formed into her stomach. She always felt uneasy around it, but she, again, had no choice.

"... Let's proceed."

It talked back. She couldn't describe what it said, but through the inky smoke, it… Said something. Like symbols printed into her brain. Instructions that she was not fully understanding.

Once, she was terrified of the mere thought of the Machine existing. Why and how was it put it there? Where was it made? And how did it work? All those questions were pointless in the grand scheme of things. The only thing that mattered was the result. If she did not obey its will, she would most likely die.

She settled the body on the table-like… Thing, making sure the dead dragon's eyes were closed. Latis then recited words she had no idea of. The words obviously meant something, but it sounded like gibberish. Yet it's what she was told to do the first time she came in contact with the Machine. Nonetheless, the body started to melt, as the room filled with the smell of spoiled cooked meat. It was disgusting. All the melted flesh, tissue and fats seeped into the structure, disappearing.

Soon only the bones remained. They started to grind into dust, which also seeped through the machine. As the body was fully dissected and gone, a small ball of dark energy rose above the table-like machine. It kept growing before totally dissipating, leaving a dark crystal in its wake.

She held the dark crystal in her paw, contemplating it. It was like ink swirled through it, refracting the small torch she had set on the sconce. Shaped malice.

She closed her eyes, and focused. The energy of the dark crystal seeped through her entire system, burning her nerves while reinvigorating her. Her mood lifted as the pain in her muscles erased itself as she took in a deep breath. _Should be enough for a week more…_ The dragoness sighed. The crystal turned to dust. Latis dropped the dust on the ground, giving one last look at the machine.

It seemed to stare back, through cold obsidian metal.

Closing and locking the door behind her, Latis quickly went through the morgue and back into the infirmary, making sure no one followed her.

"Okay, I'm in the clear…" she said out loud, with a small smile. "Drink time." She was a bit eccentric from the crystal's energy.

Opening the fridge, she took her bottle of clear spirits, making sure not to take the remarkably similar bottle of rubbing alcohol instead. _Never again._ She shifted her shoulders, uncorking the bottle before taking a good swig, the strong taste burning her throat.

She lowered the bottle, putting it back. The effects would take a bit to set in, but she was trying not to drink herself to death. She still felt guilty over the use of the Machine, but it was best to forget about it and move on. It was not healthy to reminiscent on the conditions of her return to the Dragon Realms. All she had to focus on right was to dress the death report for the sacrificed dragon.

Latis was not even sure why her life was bound to dark crystals. She was simply… Told that if she does not, she would waste away. But she knew no more. Only that the starvation from the crystals brings her weakness, pain and suffering. And that when satiated, she felt nothing negative weighting her down.

The dragoness did not have a choice. But then again, she never had any choice in any way. The reason she was alive here was proof of that.

* * *

Elara sighed. Laying in the tent, she had to learn the new runes the translation book brought. Around a hundred more runes were now in her grasp. But there was something rummaging through her mind.

"Mir… Mir… Mir…" she could not stop whispering. Why did this name strike something within her? Was she scared of it?

No, it had to be something else. Something darker. Something unexplained. _Sure, and the more I think of it is going to end up like a giant astral slug that's coming to lick all of us. I'd love to see Jericho's reaction. Alas…_

She sighed, refocusing on the runes in her book. It was yet another set of curved lines arranged in weird patterns. Twisting paths connected in an abstract yet meaningful one. _It was created by the Ancestors, to communicate with what spoken language could not tell. That's what the Great Follower told me…_

Elara looked to her side and looked at the sword Jericho claimed ownership of. It had the same runes too, but no new information came from them.

However, she noticed how close Jericho was to the sword, almost hugging it. From what he told them; it was it that helped him fight the strange creature. Said creature was probably an undead ape. They remained after Malefor's fall. Without a leader such as him or Gaul, they were without orders and turned amok.

Looking at Jericho, she was reminded that Tarvos was still here and sleeping, resting one of his large wings over Jericho. The sight brought deep within her some sort of frustration

She might be a little jealous of them.

Before she would be too frustrated, she rose and went outside, taking a deep breath of fresh air. _Okay. On our way back we found another altar. Let's get to that._

It did not take long for her to find the altar again, in another cave right next to the lake. It was partially flooded too, and the sensation of cold water on her limbs was not extremely comfortable. But she had to push on. That was their mission from the very beginning, and if Jericho couldn't do it, then she would.

This time, the altar looked like a pyre dug from the ground with engraved writings on it. It was made out of an unknown material, but it felt like wood. She almost primed her dagger to sacrifice her blood before she noticed the first few runes. _Chant the following, and you should be rewarded… That's a first._

She puts her paws around the spike, sighing while stretching a bit. _Riiiight… Let's do this._

"Maal'hei deic'tow in'tchi dy'vei akva den'kan…" She couldn't understand the first verse. It sounded and read like gibberish. Pronouncing it sent a shiver down her spine. Thankfully, the rest was understandable.

"Below Us, resides His Throne. Where He sits, He shall rise again, and He alone will bring the End to this Wisp World. Mir shall Assume the Pact. Bind Our Souls to Him, and Our Suffering shall be rewarded Tenfold." _Wow… That is some heavy stuff. _

E lara could notice a strange green ball of energy forming on the tip of the spear structure. "Take our Souls as you cross t…" _What the f- What am I saying?!_ She growled as the energy ball's intensity faltered. "T-Take our Souls as you cross the Border World of Convexity. Take your rightful Realm. Let the Bloodletting Ones carry the Torch to Rebirth."

She blocked the blinding view with a paw, as the sepulture was complete. The energy ball exploded, but not enough to hurt Elara. She then dusted herself off and looked at the potential artefact. _I am NEVER saying this crap again._

Another crystal. She was disappointed. She put herself through speaking those… Strange words for a crystal.

Hold on.

This one was… Orange. A deep orange. It refracted the light in a way Elara had never seen before. Like it was absorbing light around it to shine. _Oh. That's much more interesting._

She grabbed the crystal in her hands, observing it. It was perfectly shaped, like a jeweler took care of it. _Yet another one of Malefor's gifts, right?_ It tingled in her hands, as if it were holding energy like a fury gem. The dragoness stared back into the crystal, admiring its intricacies. Light escaped into it, yet it remained bright, like if it was bioluminescent, like a firefly. _Yeah, Jericho is gonna love it. _Trying to interact with it resulted in nothing more than a strange sort of feeling. Elara could not describe it at all. Like filled void.

She put it into her pouch before looking back at the altar, which was ablaze in a bright blue fire. Elara turned back, exiting the cave, which was filling up with smoke. _Why do they always self-destruct…?_

* * *

_Why is it getting worse?_

Jericho felt even more lethargic today. He couldn't bring himself to exit the tent after Elara left. He knew he had to be a strong leader, but…

No. He was no longer a hatchling, teen, or whatever his age was. _17 years… 17, no element, no skills, just me._ Ever since he was born, he was told that he was going to be a leader. Even when he objected, begged for Elara to take that place, he was reassured that nobody else could do it. They were all the same age, so there was no reason he knew of that would prevent anyone else from taking the 'crown of thorns' set upon him.

_Not even Elara? She is way stronger, an element, or even Tethys… _He shook his head. He had to keep up and move forward. That's what the Great Follower himself told. To never look at the past mistakes the world made, and to one day correct them for the greater good.

Yet, the feeling of uncertainty devoured him. He wasn't sure why, but he thought that it was because of his lack of communication from his home, the Glass Desert. Gifts were nice but he wanted to see the Great Follower.

"Only one more month…" he said out loud. Soon he would come back to the Glass Desert, see all the others and rest without worry, in the grace of the Great Follower. In just a month he'll be free.

At least, Tarvos' warmth felt nice. While with him he felt at peace. But he would have to go tomorrow, back to the Glass Desert. He knew that begging him to stay would do nothing. He was still below the orders of the Great Follower.

He missed the times where all he would have to worry about was to clean up his toys after playing. How Elara would find a way to destroy his constructions in the most embarrassing or annoying way. He missed Hallimede's old personality. Before he was turned into…

What happened to him was out of his knowledge. He was always distant, using Tethys as his intermediary. He was made to infiltrate and bring bodies, but how was he meant to be discreet when his body was covered by scars?

All those questions remained unanswered. Nothing more but musings that would have no meaning in the long run. What mattered was the new world.

"Hey Leader, got something for you," the green dragoness propped up.

"Elara…" he said.

"Got something for you. Go outside," she said.

Jericho groaned, gently pushing Tarvos' wing away before getting himself up on his paws. He left the sword behind, taking in the fresh air. "Okay, Elara… What do you have for me this time?" he said, sitting down.

"Your favorite, crystals."

"Another one… I don't even want to try anymore," he said. "Brings nothing but disappointment."

"Even if it's… That one?" Elara said as she showed the bright orange crystal. Immediately, Jericho's attention peaked. _Wow… It's beautiful…_

"Never seen that color… Pass it over, please."

"As you wish." Elara threw the crystal at Jericho, which he grabbed carefully. After shooting a glare to the dragoness, he focused on it. There was still a bit of excitement left in him.

Without interacting with its power, he could feel himself at ease, his mind clear and focused. As he closed his eyes, taking in the energy of the orange crystal, he felt like he was in stasis. No thought attacked his mind. No negativity. He was at peace. Without burden. As if everything melted away, he found himself slowly slumping over.

"Jericho, wake up!"

He opened his eyes, as Elara was glaring at him. He almost fell over.

"Y-Yeah, I'm keeping this," he said, quickly hiding it in his own pouch. Elara sighed.

"Your choice. I have no use for it." The dragoness turned back, going to sit by the lake.

As she left, he took another look at the crystal, smiling brightly to it. While it did nothing to further his search for an element, it brought him calm. _Finally something good…_


	7. Interval 07 - Penitent

Today was yet another lazy day. All the Crescents were resting in their tent. It was true that they were like felines, sleeping all day and being active only for a few hours. But they had nothing much to do but keep point for any new altars and movements from Warfang. They were just a few Draconian Paces away after all. If they started to do something major, they would know.

But it was only their secondary duty. The first was to perform the sacrifices. The most important part of their plan to bring back Malefor were the altars, so they were told. The flesh sacrificed would bring him energy to break from his crystal prison and in his return, tear the world apart only to rebuild it.

It would also mean the end of their physical form. No one knew what would be next but 'a world shaped by their own will'. Would it mean a hivemind agreeing on what to do next? Would individuality be preserved? Would everything come back to some kind of primordial soup?

All those questions would not leave Jericho's mind the second he stepped out of the Glass Desert. Not that he wanted to be bothered by them. Ideally, Jericho would have his mind free of doubt or questions as he performed his tasks and duties.

But those rogue thoughts always bugged him. He was meant to be the leader of the Crescents, yet his heart was undecided. He always did things half-heartedly, not agreeing with sacrifices but not opposing them, at least now.

Thankfully, Elara was here to correct him. Even though their relationship was not the best, she was an anchor back to the mission. Something he could rely on for his mind not to waver.

He opened his eyes, gently pushing Tarvos' wing off him. Elara was still stuck in her translation book, reading things that both males could not understand at all. At least, to Jericho, it was gibberish.

Tarvos also stirred a bit, awake, but a bit sleepy. Jericho always noticed his troubles sleeping. As his limbs shook, he could not help imagining what nightmares he must have gone through, as evidence by all the scars on his limbs and tail. _And Hallimede…_

Hallimede has always been a touchy subject. Not even Jericho was told what he went through to become the… Thing he turned into. Jericho could not describe him anymore but a shaky, manipulative, miserable dragon sent to kill others without remorse.

_What have they done to you… I can't imagine it, Hallimede. I know you hate me because of it. And… I truly had it easy, compared to them all, but… Why? Hallimede would have been a better leader and-_

"Jericho…" Tarvos asked. "What's wrong?"

The leader shook his head, focusing back on Tarvos.

"I-I am fine. I am just… Sad that you're leaving." A half-truth. Jericho was indeed sad that Tarvos was leaving, but many more things stirred up his heart. Tarvos was just the major one.

"… Elara? Can you-" Tarvos started before getting interrupted.

"Yeah yeah, I'll leave you and your boyfriend alone. Screw him all you want." The dragoness packed her book and stormed out of the tent. Tarvos visibly cringed at the words.

"She really knows how to sting…" he said. "And don't worry about it. It's all platonic."

"Yeah…" Jericho smiled, getting closer to him. Tarvos squeezed him closer, smiling. "I could just… Stay with you forever…" Jericho said.

"Don't worry about it. I'm here for a couple more…"

The two dragons just stood there, enjoying each other's company. Jericho would not lie; He had some sort of attraction towards Tarvos. But relationships of the same gender were very frowned upon dragon tradition, especially with the Followers. Any display of affection was punished.

If it were up to him, he would never leave his side. He wanted him badly but had to keep everything to himself. Tarvos tried to keep a tiny bit of distance himself, fearing Jericho may go too far and compromise the Followers' objective.

After a while, Tarvos got up, helping Jericho on his feet. "Looks like time's up… I have to get back."

Both males exited the tent, with Elara not batting an eye.

"Tarvos…" Jericho whined. He knew Tarvos had to get back to the Glass Desert, but it means that Jericho wouldn't see him for a couple of weeks.

"I know, I know… Hey, I'll be back soon. Make sure to complete the mission," he said. "Just…" He noticed that Jericho was holding him tighter.

"Hey… I'm sorry about it. I know how it feels to be alone like this…" he said, glaring at Elara, which glared back. "I know how much you like me, and I wish I could stay here with you, but…" He looked up to the skies. "I have to relay your status to the Great Follower, do my duties there and bring back news…" he said with a bit of anticipation. "The route isn't the best, but I promise to be back as soon as possible. I'll have something for you two again," he said.

"Yeah… I'll miss you."

"Me too. Stay strong and safe," Tarvos said with a smile.

"Safe travels, Tarvos…" He stepped back, before taking flight. He took a last look at the two Crescents before flying away.

_See you, flying silver…_

Jericho groaned, saddened. He would be stuck with Elara for the time being. The dragoness was not that bad of company, but he felt much less close to her than with Tarvos. They didn't hate each other, no, but they felt like two magnets. The closer they got, the harder the need to push away the other.

"Finally," Elara sighed. "… Can I talk to you?"

"Are you here to make fun of me?" he said. He was expecting something degrading, like she usually did, but this time, it was different.

"Jericho…" Elara said. "It's important." The dragoness usually never said things seriously.

"Yeah?"

"I-I'm starting to have doubts about the whole 'altar' thing. I know its blasphemy to say that, but… It feels wrong." Jericho sighed loudly. _Oh, Elara…_

"… I am not sure about it too, to be frank. But… We must do this. It's what we are here for. You told me that a couple of days ago. We can't-" He was cut short.

"I know, Jericho! But it's… We know it's wrong! We've sacrificed hatchlings and the like, even half-born eggs! What I'm saying is that we don't know what it does, besides the artefact. What happens to the body once it disappears? It can't just melt…" she said, looking worried.

"Elara, you were fine too just a couple of days ago…" She nodded, looking a bit uneasy.

"I know. The more I think of what we are doing, the more questions we have. I keep reading about the new runes, and they all mention Mir. Who's Mir?"

Jericho's imagination went back to the monster he panicked at. He looked down. "… I don't know myself. It's not Malefor, is it…?"

"We never knew of this name before. Never. Not even Odyss told us of such a… Person?" she said. "Is it even a person? He sounds like an Ancestor or something like it from how the runes speak of him."

"I don't know either. But does it really matter? We have to have faith; didn't you tell me that?" he said.

"… I did say that. However, the more we sacrifice, the more we get those objects… And they're all strange, right? Like, they're not from… Here, this world. Where do you think they are made? Who makes them?"

"Elara… I… You're right, I wonder the same too."

"The… Ape you killed, it was undead, right? I thought they were no longer a thing after Malefor was cast down… So why was there one?"

"More questions we don't have answers too…"

"… I should worry less, I apologise. Believe me, I don't want to be like this. We must… Uphold the mission. Then we worry."

Jericho nodded, still surprised at the dragoness showing a form of weakness.

"I'll… I'll go to the river and freshen up," Elara said.

"Gotcha," he said, with uncertainty in his voice.

As Elara left, thoughts stormed in his mind.

_Elara… Just a few days ago, everything was fine with your… Devotion? Either way… I… I'm not sure at all. What have you seen or known? Why does the name Mir… Scare us both?_

The name of Mir somehow made Jericho uncomfortable, as if he heard it a long time ago.

Jericho laid down in the grass thinking over things. If Elara was uncertain, then he would be. _What could I do…?_

It felt like eternity until Elara came back. She seemed to be doing better, but with a grim look in her eyes.

"I'm sorry for what I said, it's probably nothing. I apologise, Jericho," she said dryly before going into the tent, probably to read that book again.

_The more she reads it… The worse it seems. Odyss, was it right to send it over?_

Those questions and thoughts spun in Jericho's mind with no end.

Tarvos was gone half a day ago and it felt like he was all alone again. He was busy trying not to let the existential conflict get to him, but he wanted Tarvos back more than ever.

It made sense though. Tarvos was his best friend, from the very beginning. Ever since they were born, the Crescents were raised together. However, he felt the closest to Tarvos.

Tarvos, was the only one that fully understood and accepted Jericho. Without Tarvos, the blue dragon would have no incentive or drive to keep going but the promise of a better world.

It was however one day that Jericho realised how much he liked Tarvos. Not in a romantic way but something more than friendship. The day he took care of him.

* * *

Jericho was back from his recitals with the Great Follower. The chants he learnt were in the glory of Malefor. _Ashes to ashes… Dusk to dusk… _He was staying in his room at the desk, looking over the transcripts of the chants. The wooden blocks he used to play with were neatly stacked in the corner of the room, a reminder of his achievements.

However, he heard knocking on his door, that was about to change.

"J-Jericho?" This was the voice of Tarvos. He sounded weakened, which alerted Jericho. He went to the door and opened him, revealing the silver dragon. However, his limbs were bloody and bruised. He barely managed to walk before he collapsed, making Jericho gasp.

"I-I-I'm calling Odyss!"

"No… Not Odyss. I need your help…" Jericho stopped himself, confused. "He's not meant to help…"

"You're wounded… What happened?" he asked.

"Listen, I'll talk if… You help me bandage." Tarvos said.

"O-Okay, hold on." Jericho had an interest in medicine, and learnt basic aid by himself, and amassed multiple medical items out of curiosity. He rushed over to his collection of medical supplies, looking back at Tarvos. "Lay down on y-your side…" Tarvos did as told, grunting in pain.

_Okay… Bandages, cotton, disinfectant, painkillers? Do we even have red crystals?_ The Leader noticed that Tarvos was bleeding, leaving a trail and pool of blood on the floor. _Gah, get him stable first!_

He returned and immediately set to work, cleaning the blood from Tarvos' limbs with wrapping cotton soaked in disinfectant, before bandaging them shut on the multiple stab wounds, removing any foreign object from them. _Is that glass…? _The silver dragon yelped from the sting of disinfectant, but he just took deep breaths trying not to appear weak to Jericho.

After a small bit, he managed to bandage all of Tarvos' limbs. They weren't bleeding anymore. "Thanks, Jericho. You're awesome," he smiled. But Jericho still looked a bit grim.

"Who… What did… What happened?" he asked.

"It's just… The training. They said I had to seek out help by myself in case I get wounded. I guess… That's the gist of it?"

Jericho was not satisfied by the answer and glared at the silver dragon.

"… There's more to it, right? Is that glass? From the Desert?"

"… I can't tell you," Tarvos said.

"Hm… That's not reassuring me at all. Odyss then?"

Tarvos shrugged weakly.

"You stay here, I'll see about it," said Jericho, making sure Tarvos was stable before exiting his room, heading for the main grounds where Odyss usually was. As soon as he saw the older dragon, Jericho took a deep breath.

"Odyss?" The blue dragon asked.

"Jericho. What do you need?" Odyss asked.

"I… I worry about Tarvos. What is it with the wounds on his limbs?" Jericho said.

"That is simply result of his training. It will help his learning."

"You're saying that his wounds will help? Like Hallimede?"

"Yes…" Odyss said, looking a bit flustered. "You ask too much, little one. Do know that it is necessary."

_Necessary…_

"… I can't know, right?"

"I am afraid that only the Great Follower can answer. You should ask him, next time you are called upon."

"Right, thanks, Odyss..." Jericho said, with a small sigh. The older dragon nodded.

"Take care, Jericho. You are chosen, remember that."

* * *

_Chosen… I am chosen by the Great Follower and Malefor… Right? That's why they never hurt me…?_

Night again, and Jericho could not find any rest. Days seemed to go by without purpose. At least, when Tarvos was there, he had a reason to wake up and perform. But now, there was nothing but the draw to artefacts. And Elara does not help much. _She would never even hold me. Whatever._

Jericho felt more helpless when he talked with her. His doubts ran even more rampant as the feeling of unbelonging grew in his stomach. Elara was failing as the anchor he needed. Now there was no barrier to keep his thoughts from becoming rampant. His heart hurt, not only from the lack of warmth, but resolve.

He sat near the cliff edge where the Moons were lighting the area. Deep in thought, the dragon was seeking some sort of calm. Where he could simply relax and let some things go. Calming clay in his paws, he crushed it into powder, before inhaling most of it. The dust irritated his sinuses and burnt his nose, but it felt like his worries alleviated. The drug was powerful enough to calm, but not to incapacitate.

But it was not enough. In the back of his head, the words Elara spoke scraped at his skull, wanting answers. But there were none. The well in his heart grew deeper.

There was this indescribable, nameless feeling deep within, a sort of dread consuming his organs. Like a cold from inside, it spread through his veins only to slowly paralyze him from it. An unknown feeling that was impossible to describe.

Then it hit him. He still had an option. _The crystal!_

He reached back into his pouch and pulled out the beautiful orange crystal, holding it with both paws as he took in its energy. Slowly, his woes faded. The nameless fear slowly faded, replaced by a feeling of warmth.

The more he focused on it, the more he felt lost in its colour. It was almost hypnotic, like energy swirling in it, changing opacity and flow. Something magical. Something-

**I MANIFEST HERE**

Words displayed in his head. Jericho almost dropped the crystal in surprise. _Did it just…?_ He focused on it again, not sure what he heard.

_What is going on? _Jericho shook the crystal, expecting something.

**I AM NAMELESS**

**I AM HERE FOR YOU**

_Huh… But who are you? _Jericho put the crystal to his ear, but he did not hear it any closer, or better. It was like letters printed into his head, then assembled by his mind. The nameless fear in his heart dulled the more he 'listened' to whatever it was saying.

**IT DOES NOT MATTER**

… _What do you want, crystal? _The dragon felt strange "talking" with a sentient crystal, especially without saying anything. It did not make sense, but it felt right. Somehow.

**FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS**

_What does that mean? What instructions?_

**DESCRIBE YOUR WISH **

_A wish. Huh, I…_

Jericho could not help but feel entranced by the words of the crystal. It felt warm and comforting to the touch. _I guess… I guess I don't want to feel sad anymore. I want to succeed at the mission given to me. I want to be free of the pain…? To not face blasphemy…?_

**I HAVE AN OFFER**

_What can you do?_

Jericho looked up at the Celestial Moons. He wanted an answer from them. Was listening to the crystal a good idea?

**FOLLOW MY ORDERS**

… _Why should I trust… Whoever you are?_

**THERE SHALL BE NO MORE SUFFERING**

**NO MORE AIMLESSNESS**

_No more suffering. No more lack of purpose…? Really? _

**EVERYTHING WILL BE ANSWERED**

_Everything… _

The blue dragon looked down back in his paws, holding the crystal to his face. Then, he placed it on his chest, feeling its warmth. It felt good. Like if it was missing, and he found something to complete the void in his heart. The void that Tarvos usually filled could be replaced with the crystal. The crystal could be here for him.

"… Do you have a name?"

**NEGATIVE**

"… Will you guide me?"

**AFFIRMATIVE.**


End file.
